The Voter Experience Around the World

Special issue of Representation, guest edited by Toby S. James, Holly Ann Garnet and Carla Luis

Election day is a pivotal moment in the democratic experience of citizens where they have the opportunity to cast their vote (Orr 2015, Norris 2014, James 2012). While the experience of casting a vote can be a ritual involving a close feeling of community and self-expression, it can also be one of frustration with long queues, or fear and intimidation as party activists threaten would-be voters. The consequences of these experiences at the polls can have wide-ranging impacts, from a voter’s confidence in electoral democracy to their willingness to return to the polls.

A well-established literature shows that the institutional design of election day can affect voter turnout and inclusiveness (Rosenstone and Wolfinger 1978, James and Garnett 2020).  Less is known, however, about how the institutional design of election day(s) can shape a broader set of voter’s attitudes, voter choice and outcomes of the election. 

This special issue therefore considers What factors shape a voters’ experience? And how does a voter’s experiences with the voting process shape their attitudes and behaviours, and ultimately the outcomes of elections?

The special issue will introduce a human reflexivity framework for understanding the complex relationship between institutional design, the strategic choices of actors other than voters (such as party agents, incumbents, and election monitors) and cultural norms.  The approach argues that experiences are formed and negotiated by individuals through the interplay of institutional design, cultural norms and strategic action of actors. These experiences in turn shape levels of trust, voter choices, turnout and election outcomes. 

First, new original data is presented on voter’s experience from the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity Index to provide a global overview of trends and the drivers their experiences, over a ten-year period 2012-21. 

Articles in the special issue will then provide cutting edge original research findings through either cross-national or individual country level studies.  Cross-national studies provide global overview of voter id laws and the effects of election monitoring and automatic voter registration.  Country-based studies examine electoral violence, e-voting, voter intimidation and fraud, queues in polling stations and fake news. Lessons are therefore drawn from across continents to bring a special issue which will have a broad international audience.

Papers have been selectively drawn from the Electoral Integrity Project’s annual international workshop held in Lisbon (virtual) in 2021, and related events.

Final papers (all will be listed following acceptances):

More to follow…

References

James, Toby S. 2012. Elite Statecraft and Election Administration: Bending the Rules of the Game. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

James, Toby S., and Holly Ann Garnett. 2020. "Introduction: the case for inclusive voting practices."  Policy Studies 41 (2-3):113-130.

Norris, Pippa. 2014. Why Electoral Integrity Matters. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Orr, Graeme. 2015. Ritual and rhythm in electoral systems: A comparative legal account. Abingdon and New York: Routledge.

Rosenstone, Steven J., and Raymond E. Wolfinger. 1978. "The Effect of Registration Laws on Turnout."  American Political Science Review 72 (1):22-45.