Does Electronic Voting Have an Impact on Turnout in a Compulsory Voting Setting? A Longitudinal Analysis for the Local Elections in Belgium

Even in countries where compulsory voting is applied, one can observe large variations in turnout across electoral districts. This paper analyses turnout rates in local elections in Belgium and tests whether differences across municipalities can be explained by electronic voting (e-voting). Taking into account various elements related to the electoral system, political competition and socio-demographic factors, multivariate models demonstrate that turnout decreases in municipalities where e-voting is used. This is true for all election years (1994-2018) and the paper also finds out that the negative effect of e-voting on turnout remains stable time.