Democracy Out of Sync: Circadian Misalignment and the Cost of Voting

We extend the calculus-of-voting framework by identifying circadian misalignment as a novel cost of electoral participation. Exploiting the fall transition of Daylight Saving Time (DST), which sets clocks back one hour, we leverage quasi-experimental variation from Arizona’s nonobservance of DST and variation in the timing of the transition relative to Election Day. We estimate the effect on voter turnout using both a geographic regression discontinuity difference-in-differences design and a national analysis of individual-level voter records. Across both specifications, voter turnout is lower in general elections following the DST transition. This decline is partly driven by a time-compression channel: effects are more pronounced in areas with earlier sunsets, rural areas, and longer commutes, while access to convenient voting options attenuates these effects. Turnout declines are concentrated among Republican, leading to systematic shifts in electoral composition. These findings highlight "temporal governance" as a critical yet overlooked determinant of democratic participation.