Campaigns, Mobilization, and Turnout in Mayoral Elections
... amount of money are likely to be much more competitive than campaigns in which one candidate vastly outspends the other. In effect, this variable reflects an effort to capture the competitiveness of the election before Election Day. We expect that contests with small spending gaps will generate more ...
... amount of money are likely to be much more competitive than campaigns in which one candidate vastly outspends the other. In effect, this variable reflects an effort to capture the competitiveness of the election before Election Day. We expect that contests with small spending gaps will generate more ...
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. (Who is eligible varies by country, and should not be confused with the total adult population. For example, some countries discriminate based on sex, race, and/or religion. Age and citizenship are usually among the criteria.) After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s. In general, low turnout may be due to disenchantment, indifference, or contentment. Low turnout is often considered to be undesirable, and there is much debate over the factors that affect turnout and how to increase it. In spite of significant study into the issue, scholars are divided on reasons for the decline. Its cause has been attributed to a wide array of economic, demographic, cultural, technological, and institutional factors. There have been many efforts to increase turnout and encourage voting.Different countries have very different voter turnouts. For example, in the United States 2008 presidential election turnout was 61%. In Belgium, which has compulsory voting, and Malta, which does not, participation reaches 95%. These differences are caused by a mix of cultural and institutional factors.