UW-O Economists Find Correlation Between In-Person Voting and COVID-19

A new study released by a
group of UW-Oshkosh economists says their findings show a correlation between
in-person voting and the spread of positive COVID-19 cases two to three weeks
after the April 7 primary election. You’ll remember numerous new outlets
showing long lines of voters at the polls, due to fewer polling locations. The working paper by UWO economists Chad Cotti, Bryan Engelhardt and Joshua Foster in collaboration with colleagues at Ball State University was posted online with the National Bureau of Economic Research this week. 

The team analyzed county-level data from the state of Wisconsin and said their
research confirms the WI Department of Health Services findings that used
testing and tracing methods to conclude there were 52 cases of COVID-19 as a
direct result of in-person voting. There were over 1,550,000 votes cast in the election,
with 1,159,800 cast via absentee ballot, leaving roughly 390,200 votes cast in
person at the 2,132 polling locations statewide.