CONTESTED ELECTIONS AND THE POWER OF NEW VOTERS: THE IMPACT OF EXTENDING VOTING RIGHTS TO NON-CITIZENS

Inigo Iturbe-Ormaetxe, Santiago Sanchez-Pages () and Angel Solano-Garcia ()
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Santiago Sanchez-Pages: King's College London.
Angel Solano-Garcia: Department of Economic Theory and Economic History, University of Granada.
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Angel Solano Garcia ()

No 23/11, ThE Papers from Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada.

Abstract: We examine the redistributive effects of extending voting rights to non-citizens. Our hypothesis is that the impact of this reform depends on the political power wielded by new voters to change the status quo. Specifically, we anticipate a greater power when elections are more contested. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyze the 1975 Swedish electoral reform, which granted voting rights to non-citizens in local elections. Our findings reveal a significant and one-time increase in local taxes right after the reform. This tax hike was more pronounced in municipalities with a higher proportion of non-citizens. This effect was concentrated in municipalities where the size of the newly enfranchised electorate was substantial enough to potentially upturn the outcome of the previous election.

Keywords: : Voting; Redistribution; Electoral reform; Immigration; Local elections. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D74 F22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2023-09-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-his, nep-mig and nep-pol
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gra:wpaper:23/11

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