Abstract
A model of voting behavior is developed that predicts that individuals vote if the absolute value of voting for or against a referendum exceeds the cost of voting. The results obtained from examining voting on city-county consolidation referenda and in New York state (1) provide support for the relatively untested prediction that turnout rises as the absolute value of the mean gains resulting from an electoral outcome increase and (2) augment the evidence that turnout rises as the probability of altering an electoral outcome increases and falls as the cost of voting rises.
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References
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We would like to thank Roger Blair and Gordon Tullock for their valuable comments. The Public Policy Research Center at the University of Florida provided financial support.
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Filer, J.E., Kenny, L.W. Voter turnout and the benefits of voting. Public Choice 35, 575–585 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140087
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140087