Restrictive State Electoral Environments and the Health of Black Americans

Scot Schraufnagel, Dawn Hunter, Robert Durbin and Gnora Mahs

Social Science Quarterly, 2025, vol. 106, issue 5

Abstract: Objective The research tests the effect that restrictive state election laws have on the self‐reported health of Black Americans. Methods Initially, aggregate bivariate relationships are assessed as an exercise in theory building before moving to individual‐level survey data to test the association between a more restrictive state electoral environment and self‐reported health. We employ logistic regression to ascertain the predicted probability that individual respondents report they have either very good or excellent health. Results The results suggest a more restrictive electoral environment associates with lower self‐reported health for all survey respondents, but the association grows stronger for Black Americans. This is the case after controlling for other considerations that scholars routinely identify as influencing individual health outcomes. Conclusion The implication is that removing barriers to registering to vote and casting a ballot on Election Day, in the American states, would create a more evenhanded electoral system where all voices can equally influence the political decision‐making that promotes personal health.

Date: 2025
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