Why Education Increases Voting: Evidence from Boston Charter Schools

Americans with more education vote at higher rates. Some studies have found evidence of a causal relationship, while others have not. The available data also tell us little about why and how education increases voting. The authors looked the educational trajectories and adult voting records of students who attend charter schools in Boston. The authors looked at the voting records of charter and non-charter students and find substantial differences. Specifically, 41 percent of all charter-school students vote in their first presidential election compared to 35 percent of students who did not attend a charter, an increase of 17 percent. When the authors looked more closely at the data, the charter effect is a female phenomenon. Female high-school students are 11 percentage points more likely to vote in adulthood if they attended a charter school, while the impact for males is nil. These findings are in line with widening gender gaps in educational attainment and political participation. The authors used state education and voting records to compare academic outcomes and election turnout for students who are and are not offered a charter seat and adjust our estimates based on who actually attends a charter school. The authors then investigated whether these educational gains extend beyond the classroom to civic participation. They found no impact on voter registration -- about 78 percent of students in both groups are registered to vote by age 21, with about 45 percent of students registered by their 19th birthday. However, the authors did find differences in voter turnout. Charter school students are more likely to vote than non-charter students, with the biggest difference in the first presidential election in which they are eligible to vote.