What is Roll-Off?
“Roll-off” is the term used to describe what happens when a voter fills out the top, but not the bottom, of their ballot.
At the "top-of-the-ticket" are positions like US President, Senate and Congressional representative, while at the "bottom-of-the-ticket" are statewide and municipal positions. This means that fewer people are casting a ballot for candidates at the more local level, which are already decided by fewer votes and smaller margins.
What Type of Voters Tend to Roll-Off?
Research shows that compared who complete their full ballot, roll-off voters are more likely to be: women; those who identify with a racial/ethnic category other than white; under the age of 45; those without a college degree, and ideologically moderate.
By The Numbers:
81% of men say they complete their full ballots, compared to 68% of women.
77% of white voters say they complete their full ballot, compared to 63% of Black voters and 63% of Latino voters.
83% of voters are 45 and older say they complete their full ballots, compared to only 59% of voters under age 45.
In terms of knowledge and attitudes, roll-off voters express lower levels of overall knowledge; for example, they are less likely to correctly identify the role of state legislators.
Roll-off voters also express less confidence about their choices. They're more likely to feel concerned about potentially voting for the “wrong” candidate.
Why Does Roll-Off Happen?
While there are multiple explanations for why this happens, researchers have identified big factor to be: Less informed or less interested voters going to the polls to vote in the “big” races while leaving the lower-level races blank.
Additional explanations include:
Ballot layout and design causes some voters to feel fatigued or overwhelmed by the time they get to the end of the ballot.
Voters feel they do not know enough to make an informed decision about candidates toward the bottom of the ballot, so they don't cast a vote.
Voters don't vote in races that aren't competitive as they don't feel it will make a difference on the outcome.
How Can Roll-Off Be Reduced?
Strategic messaging and education can reduce roll-off by helping voters feel confident about their down-ballot choices and prepare to complete the whole ballot.
Include reminders like, "Fill out your ballot all the way down" or "Remember to flip your ballot" to give voters a heads up that their ballot may be longer than they think.
Direct voters to resources that show who will be on their ballot, so they can review and make their choices without feeling rushed or stressed at their polling place.
Let voters know they can bring a printed or digital ballot guide into the polling place and copy the choices they made ahead of time.
Encourage voting by mail, which has many benefits including lower roll-off rates. Not only is voting by mail more convenient for many voters, it provides the space to research and make down-ballot choices on their own time.
Carve out space to go through the ballot guide together as part of broader voter registration or plan-making activities. This helps voters fit in planning and 'normalizes' the process so that it becomes a habit.
🖥️ On Motivote, users have automatic access to a personalized ballot guide from BallotReady, and you can swap out any alternative guide of your choice.
More Resources
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire: Too Far to the Bottom? Exploring the Phenomenon of Voter Roll-Off
University of Pittsburgh: Getting Things Straight: The Effects of Ballot Design and Electoral Structure on Voter Participation
Drexel University: Election Roll-Off: A Test of Three Explanations
Sister District: Battleground Survey: Roll-Off in State Legislative Elections