拉丁美洲選舉廢票之研究 (1916-2018)

Abstract

What explains the variation in invalid votes across different countries? This thesis extends our knowledge about factors that impact voters’ propensity to cast invalid ballots by testing economic, sociological, and institutional explanations. Unlike previous studies, this thesis contributes to the literature by providing systemic empirical analyses that cover samples of elections across a century. Drawing on evidence from presidential elections and lower chamber elections in Latin America between 1916 and 2018, this study demonstrates four findings. First, a country with an enforced compulsory voting system tends to have higher levels of invalid vote for lower chamber elections than presidential elections. Second, while the level of regime corruption has a positive effect on increasing invalid votes, such an effect is stronger for lower chamber elections than presidential elections. Third, concurrent elections tend to increase invalid vote for presidential elections but not for lower chamber elections. Fourth, a higher level of economic development tends to increase invalid vote for lower chamber elections but not for presidential elections.