Electoral Arrangements and Turnout Variance at the Sub-National Level: Comparative Insights from Three Constituencies in Ghana

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Fortune Agbele

Abstract

Using micro-level data from three constituencies in Ghana, which are cases of high, average and low turnout respectively, I assess whether voters’ perceptions of the cost of voting (resource and time) can explain such variation in voter turnout. Results suggest that in Ghana, such individual perceptions of the cost associated with voting do not help in explaining variance in voter turnout at the constituency level: Across the different levels of turnout, there is little to no variance in voters’ perceptions. I find that the high positive perceptions of the electoral processes across high, average, and low turnout constituencies are not only due to the activities of the electoral management body but among others, the adjustments by citizens to the process based on their experiences from past elections.

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How to Cite
Agbele, F. (2020). Electoral Arrangements and Turnout Variance at the Sub-National Level: Comparative Insights from Three Constituencies in Ghana. Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society, 8(2), 61–90. https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v8i2.315
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Articles
Author Biography

Fortune Agbele, Bayreuth International Graduate School for African Studies, University of Bayreuth, Germany,

She is an International Development consultant with a background in Democratic Governance. She has taken on assignments in the area of policy analysis, electoral participation, gender analysis and training. Currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science at the Bayreuth International Graduate School for African Studies, her research interests cover the broader field of participatory governance with a focus on electoral participation and accountability. E-mail: fortune.agbele@uni-bayreuth.de.