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Replication Data for: The Effect of Electoral Systems on Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

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Title Replication Data for: The Effect of Electoral Systems on Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/DMAENL
 
Creator Sanz, Carlos
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description I exploit the unique institutional framework of Spanish local elections, where
municipalities follow different electoral systems depending on their
population size, as mandated by a national law. Using a regression
discontinuity design, I compare turnout under closed list proportional
representation and under an open list, plurality-at-large system where voters
can vote for individual candidates from the same or different party lists. I
find that the open list system increases turnout by between one and two
percentage points. The results suggest that open list systems, which introduce
competition both across and within parties, are conducive to more voter turnout.
 
Subject Social Sciences
 
Contributor Sanz, Carlos