The Amish and Their Neighbors
Session 10
Saturday, June 4, 2022 • 10:30 am
Plenary Address
Plain Politics: Assessing Old Order Amish Voter Participation in the 2004, 2016, and 2020 Presidential Elections
Kyle Kopko
In recent years, political operatives have engaged in formal and informal efforts to register Amish voters and mobilize them on Election Day. In particular, the 2004, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections witnessed significant outreach efforts to members of the Old Order community in Pennsylvania and beyond. But to what extent did Amish participate in these elections? This presentation will provide a comparative analysis of Amish voter registration and voter turnout across these three elections.
Kyle Kopko is an adjunct professor of political science at Elizabethtown College and executive director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative service agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from The Ohio State University. Kopko is the author of more than 30 scholarly publications, and his research has been featured in national and international news outlets including the BBC, CNN, C-SPAN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.