Nolt’s current projects include researching the history of Mennonites in Virginia from the eighteenth century to the present, with an interest in the role of place and regional context in shaping the Mennonite experience. The project is being carried out in cooperation with several Virginia Mennonite history groups.
Nolt is also examining Amish political participation, a project he is carrying out with Kyle Kopko, associate professor of political science at Elizabethtown College, with the assistance of student researchers. The project examines rates of Amish voter registration and turnout in select settlements across the United States. Qualitative portions of the study seek to put those rates in context via interviews with Amish individuals, key elected officials, and political activists who have tried to engage members of the Plain Community. Another research component has involved fielding a survey with the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College, examining popular perceptions of Amish images used in political campaigns. Finally, a historical component of the research is seeking to uncover evidence of Amish civic involvement and noninvolvement across time.