`Can I register to vote before I am 18?'Information Costs and Participation

Alejandro Corvalan and Paulo Cox ()

No 60, Working Papers from Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universidad Diego Portales

Abstract: Using a natural experiment we identify the e ect of a particular procedural infor- mation cost on electoral registration of young first-time voters. Given that registration closing day is typically before election day, first-time voters who become eligible as they reach the minimum age requirement may face uncertainty on whether this rule is due at either closing day or election day. We argue that this uncertainty generates a discontinuity between individuals turning 18 a day before, and a day after, closing day. We provide empirical evidence of this using registration of Chilean rst-time voters over two decades and across 12 elections. Implementing a sharp regression discontinuity design we estimate that registration decreases about 20% at the cuto-off, causing an average drop of about 10% of turnout of the whole cohort of young first-time voters.

Date: 2014-10
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