Who Thinks It is Easy to Register and Vote?

Americans can register and vote in more ways than ever before. But do Americans think it is easy to register and vote in their state, who thinks it is easy, and how do these perceptions affect voter turnout? Despite the importance of answers to these question for theorizing, understanding, and explaining political behavior, few previous works have examined the levels, determinants, and implications of perceptions of registration and voting ease. Using data from the 2022 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, this study finds super majorities of Americans think registering and voting are very easy. Older and Republican-identifying Americans think registering and voting are easier, those in states with same/Election Day registration find registration easier while those in states with voter identification requirements find voting harder. Last, those who think voting (but not registration) is easier are more likely to vote. These findings place increased importance on not just examining the costs of voting, but also the perceived costs of voting.