How the Design of Polling Places Sway Elections

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__Special Thanks__
Evan Montgomery — co-production

__Description__
This video examines how the physical environment of polling places can subconsciously influence voting behavior. It explores the concept of context priming, where surroundings like schools and churches activate certain associations in our minds that can sway decisions on policies and candidates. Studies have shown that voting in a school can increase support for education funding initiatives by 2%, while voting in a church can lead to a 9% swing toward conservative candidates.

The discussion also covers the impact of voting methods and booth arrangements on voter confidence and turnout. Factors such as the usability of voting systems, the physical conditions of polling places, and even the layout of voting booths can significantly affect the democratic process. Understanding these subtle influences is crucial for promoting transparency and fairness in elections.

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__About the Channel__
Architecture with Stewart is a YouTube journey exploring architecture’s deep and enduring stories in all their bewildering glory. Weekly videos and occasional live events breakdown a wide range of topics related to the built environment in order to increase their general understanding and advocate their importance in shaping the world we inhabit.

__About Me__
Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.

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Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Storyblocks, and Shutterstock.
Music provided by Epidemic Sound

#architecture #urbandesign

[KatyaOrlova-jpgy]

In my country, voting almost exclusively takes place in schools, and all my life I voted at the school where I once studied because it was the closest to my house. It was always an eerie experience to go back there.

[VSPhotfries]

Honestly, the fact that people decide AT the polls, e.g. while standing there looking at the choices seemingly for the first time, is far more frightening to me than the idea a polling place influences them. It leaves my poor brain screaming, silent, but with such an intensity it's audible to others if they stand close enough:

"WHY THE ACTUAL FUCK HAVEN'T THEY DECIDED BEFORE THEY ARRIVED‽"

[JamesBushik]

"Behavioral geography" is a fascinating field of study, and encompasses the ideas reflected in this video.

[barryrobbins]

For elective offices, “Ranked Choice Voting” may help by emphasizing the comparative aspect of voting without having the stress of “ lesser of two evils”, making it a less emotional and a more rational process. It might lessen the effects of voting location.

[michaelh]

Voting in a very rural area was a strange experience for me, the local polling place was a church/community building and staff almost always outnumbered voters in attendance when I went. Everyone was friendly but still a bizarre atmosphere

[Imbatmn]

My mom and i vote at the city utility building during early voting, now my mom has to use a wheelchair, theres a ramp, however the way its set up, the doors open outwards, and the platform infront of the doors is too narrow to get around the door if you're in a wheelchair, risking falling down the steps, you then have to go through a door that don't have a button to open it and go in an elevator. Ive voted at the local school, and even though the building is older, its more accessible, the door used is on grade and you don't have to use an elevator to get to polling, we'd probably go to the school if the lines weren't so long. Also i hate that there's no option on the absentee ballot that says you didn't receive your ballot in the mail, feel like thats important to know when fixing voting issues.

[muammargaddafi]

I'm kinda baffled about the whole topic of the priming effect in the context of voting. It makes it seem like there is a good chunk of people who are making up their mind about which vote they cast on the spot, which i find very surprising. I always had the assumption that the grand majority of people are already certain which vote they'll cast, before even going out to vote.

[cygnusinfinity]

Living in Oregon my entire life, I've always recieved my ballot several days ahead of time in the mail, where I can take my time to read as much campaign literature as I want and ensure my votes are correct. Then I can either mail it back or take it to a ballot drop box. It's convenient, safe, easy, and a heck of a lot less mail than the candidates send to try to sway me. I know not everyone has access to a secure mailing address to vote from, but I find it absolutely absurd to think that people who could have access to voting this way are forced to take time off of work and wait in long lines to vote. It feels like voter suppression. (Because it is.)

[shsd]

The most Stewart Hicks solution: have everybody vote at Wrigley Field

[Alex-cwrz]

I'm from the UK and I've never had to queue to vote. I find it very confusing when I see these huge queues. Well I say confusing but it's obviously done on purpose to reduce voting.

[WillNGo]

When I was 18 in high school we were recruited to work the polling places for a school board and school bond election. The savvy political people I knew told me that these elections have a low turn out, mostly senior citizens who vote down bond measures for schools because their kids are grown up and they don't want their taxes raised. The thinking was that if a cute kid greeted you and checked you off, directed you to the booth (they were mechanical) you might be more likely to vote in favor of the bond measure. (Definitely priming.) Also maybe our parents, relatives, neighbors would make the effort to go to the polls to see you working there.
Incredibly long day, only about 20 voters, a few teachers, but mostly old people who voted down the bond measure. So much for priming.

One more architectural aspect of voting that I witnessed and gathered the numbers for analysis: The National Election of November 1972. I lived in a very conservative (racist) suburban satellite of Detroit. Significant majority Republican. All voting locations were in elementary school gymnasiums. There was one corner of Livonia, Michigan that was more working class and Democratic. It's leanings had almost no effect on the local elections. And yet measures were taken for decades to lower the turnout in this area.
In most of Livonia voting booths were inside the gym. Voters could park in the school lot and wait inside to vote. But in the small Democratic corner, there were (for five national elections including 1972) fewer booths per voter (not just registered, but for the expected number of actual voters), the booths were placed near the door, so people had to wait outside. Rain was common on November election days, and parking was not allowed in the school lot. So you're on your way to work, you intend to vote... you see a line outside in the rain, and the street all parked up....

In Los Angeles over the past 15 years or so, they kept changing the polling places where I voted. This was a huge headache. Los Angeles is overwhelmingly Democratic and larger turnouts are more likely to deliver the outcomes our political leaders are after. So there was no corrupt intention, just bureaucracy.... Since COVID we get our ballots in the mail, fill them out at home and drop them off in a box next to the public library. There's always a place to park. Much better system. Not sure how this affects priming, but architecturally? it's clearly Less is Better.

[veraxiana]

I hate that my voting area is a church, I've had many varying beliefs throughout my life from being atheist to Greek orthodox but never once did I feel very welcome voting there because
A: it wasn't my congregation or even a branch of faith I shared whatsoever
B: You could literally hear church choir rehearsals in the other room, which is not only distracting but after watching this video I'd argue it unfairly influences some people's votes too.

[ilhamraflie]

I live in Indonesia. We had our presidential and representative election earlier this year. The polling stations are in the neighborhood where people live and each polling stations serves for around 250 voters. Polling stations here are quite simple. Any open space available in the neighborhood like some field, empty lot, or even someone front yard. If not covered by a roof, then put a tent to shield from weather. Some polling stations are decorated and even make it into the news. The voting mechanism is very low tech and verified by humans. Poke the candidate picture using a nail and put it in ballot box. Once voted, put your pinky to pool of ink to verify you voted. When counting, officials say candidates name out loud then sign and verified by officials and witnesses from the candidates. The election day is a holiday and there are many discounts for voters on election day. I don't understand why Americans make it so complicated. Just make election as simple as possible.

[PlutofromBelow]

It would be interesting to compare this internationally. In the Netherlands many more polling stations are available, and people have a choice between multiple locations.

[wiruwaruwolz]

Why is it considered normal that even when you don’t live out in bum-fuck nowhere, you have to drive to a polling place? Maybe that’s just my perspective as a coddled European, but I believe when you can’t walk to a polling place, it immediately puts a price tag on the act of voting itself and thus potentially excludes people — which in a democracy you ideally want to avoid.

Edit: On rewatching the video, I realise now that my comment has little to do with what Stewart said. Still, I find it baffling how he describes driving to a polling place that could easily be reached by a ten minute walk.

[corywarshaw]

Obviously the solution is to build massive white cubes as Democracy Centers to prevent any priming whatsoever.

[AlphaGeekgirl]

7:52 Almost 12 minutes wait time!?!?!
For the past 25 years I have timed how long it takes for me to vote at every single election.
Apart from during COVID, on average I wait less than 20 seconds once I walk in the door, and I can leave my house and be back home in under 6 minutes.
Yeah, I live in Australia :D

[DoloresJNurss]

I hadn't thought about it before, but voting in the context of yahoos standing around the polls to harass anyone that they don't think looks "American" influences my voting by making me feel defensive, and thus more likely to vote opposite their politics. This happens even when I vote from home to avoid these harassers--because it reminds me of why I'm not voting in public.

[StephenCoorlas]

Stewart - You should have referenced Steven Holl's "Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture". There's so much juicy architectural theory to be explored there.

[NealCMH]

Is it possible that the priming effect has less influence since there are other ways to vote instead of a location in your neighborhood? I found the graph showing the percentages of the methods used interesting. Personally, I prefer Early Voting. I also know exactly who I am voting for before I enter the "booth".