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The turnout ‘gap’ and the costs of voting – a comparison of participation at the 2001 general and 2002 local elections in England

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  • Colin Rallings
  • Michael Thrasher

Abstract

Evidence from both sample surveys and the marked electoral registers is used to compare the participation of individual electors at the 2001 general election and the 2002 local elections in England. In those cases where conventional electoral procedures have been retained, there is a continuing gap between local and general election turnout. Those who vote at both types of election tend to have a sharper sense of civic duty and/or an incentive to vote based on the benefits perceived to be likely to accrue from the outcome of the local contest. However, in those places where the costs of participation are reduced through the introduction of all-postal voting, the turnout gap disappears as does the distinctive character of those who vote in local elections. In each case the findings support a rational choice model of participation with respondents weighing the benefits and costs of voting in the context of their own sense of duty. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher, 2007. "The turnout ‘gap’ and the costs of voting – a comparison of participation at the 2001 general and 2002 local elections in England," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 333-344, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:131:y:2007:i:3:p:333-344
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-006-9118-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Riker, William H. & Ordeshook, Peter C., 1968. "A Theory of the Calculus of Voting," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 25-42, March.
    2. Riker, William H. & Ordeshook, Peter C., 1968. "A Theory of the Calculus of Voting," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 25-42, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lacombe, Donald J. & Coats, R. Morris & Shughart II, William F. & Karahan, Gökhan, 2016. "Corruption and Voter Turnout: A Spatial Econometric Approach," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), December.
    2. Scott Orford & Colin Railings & Michael Thrasher & Galina Borisyuk, 2011. "Changes in the Probability of Voter Turnout When Resiting Polling Stations: A Case Study in Brent, UK," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 29(1), pages 149-169, February.
    3. Spada,Paolo & Mellon,Jonathan & Peixoto,Tiago Carneiro & Sjoberg,Fredrik Matias, 2015. "Effects of the internet on participation : study of a public policy referendum in Brazil," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7204, The World Bank.

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