Jane Elkins ’26 has earned recognition for her research on voter participation, receiving the Pi Sigma Alpha Best Undergraduate Paper Award for her paper, “Automatic Voter Registration and Turnout: A Demographic Analysis.” The award honors the best paper presented by an undergraduate student at the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) annual meeting, one of the nation’s longest-running interdisciplinary academic conferences.

Elkins’ research examines how automatic voter registration (AVR) impacts voter turnout across different demographic groups, especially in “backend” systems that automatically register eligible voters unless they choose to opt out. Her findings show that these policies can meaningfully increase participation and help make democracy more inclusive.

“Presenting my findings in front of scholars and receiving their feedback was both humbling and inspiring,” Elkins said. “It reinforced what my research showed: that the design of electoral policies can either expand or restrict who participates in democracy.”

Elkins, from Annandale, Virginia, shared that her personal experience also inspired the project. “I didn’t vote in the 2022 election because I never received my absentee ballot,” she explained. “Like many other students, I didn’t have the time or ability to go home and vote. That experience, and the irony that it happened during the election I later studied, sparked my interest in voter accessibility and policy design.”

Outside the classroom, Elkins is an active member of the Pre-Law Society, the Academic Integrity Council, and Young Democrats, and serves as a leader of the Green Bandana Project, a campus initiative focused on mental health awareness and support.

Now applying to law school, Elkins hopes to pursue a career in public service law, with interests in criminal defense, public defense, or immigration law.

“I’m deeply grateful to Dr. Elliot Fullmer and Dr. Lauren Bell for their mentorship and guidance,” Elkins said. “Their support helped me turn an initial curiosity about voter access into a rigorous research project that contributes to ongoing conversations about participation and representation.”