Too Much Democracy? Election Frequency and Voter Turnout

• In Event: Do Electoral Systems Ask Too Much of Voters?

Abstract

The U.S. votes far more frequently than do other Western democracies. Scholars have theorized that the frequency of elections can have a variety of consequences. On the one hand, it may make it easier for citizens to hold elected officials accountable. Facing regular elections, leaders may also be more responsive to citizen preferences. On the other hand, frequent elections may decrease turnout because of voter fatigue. In other words, turnout may be low – as it is in the U.S. relative to other democracies – because the system asks too much of its citizens.

As part of a larger project on the effects of “too much democracy,” this paper evaluates whether reducing (increasing) the number of elections citizens are asked to participate in increases (decreases) voter turnout using two causally-identified empirical strategies. The first leverages mid-Congress special elections to the U.S. House brought on by member death or resignation. Here, I test whether the addition of a special election reduces turnout in the regularly-scheduled House election. The second focuses on the case of California, where there have been dozens of court- and voter-induced local election consolidation efforts over the past decade to assess whether decreasing the number of elections boosts turnout. Overall, the results will speak to whether reforms to the election calendar and the frequency of voting in the U.S. can cure lower voter turnout, or whether apathy in the electorate is “baked in.”

Author

• Brian T. Hamel, University of North Texas