What explains voter turnout in Latin America? A test of the effect of citizens’ attitudes towards the electoral

Summary

Research on electoral participation at the individual level in Latin America remains scarce. This article extends our knowledge about the individual-level factors that impact citizens’ propensity to vote in the region. Specifically, I assess the link be-tween citizens’ trust in the electoral process and voter turnout using recent survey data from 19 Latin American countries between 2004 and 2014. Using logistic models I show that trust in the fairness of elections has a significant and positive effect on voter turnout across the region, and that this effect is mediated by the existence of compulsory voting laws.