A new study from the University of Georgia found that unenforced mandatory voting laws – those with fines without abstentions can still significantly increase voters’ votes, providing a low-risk tool for democracies facing a decline in participation.
Published in journals Election studyThe study utilizes rare natural experiments in Karnataka, India. There, the state government passed a mandatory voting law in 2015 for the local Panchayat elections, but deliberately chose not to enforce the law. Despite the lack of any fines or fines, voter turnout increased by 6.5 to 14 percentage points.
“We see clear evidence that people respond to the law even without law enforcement,” said Shane Singh, the corresponding author of the study. “It supports the idea that the law has an expressive function: they shape norms and behavior even if it does not involve punishment.”
Subtle nudge, a stronger democracy
Contrary to the model that relies on fines or sanctions to push citizens toward polls, this study shows lighter touch options. Just like a stop sign on a quiet road, the existence of rules is enough to change behavior – if the message is clear.
Singh and co-author Reshikesav Rajan, now a PhD student at Texas A&M University, used differentiation models to estimate turnout changes in Karnataka, while there were no voting requirements in the other four Indian states. Their multi-model approach found that the turnout ranged from 6.5 to 14.4 percentage points, with all statistical significance.
Why do people follow the laws without teeth?
The author believes that the answer lies in what legal scholars call the “expressive function” of law – even if no one is watching, the law can shape the idea of social norms by signaling expectations or attention.
- Voting laws can create “ban norms”, a common belief that participation is a civic obligation.
- This shift in perceived obligations affects behavior regardless of any actual execution.
- These specifications have been shown to change the behavior of diversity in such as sunscreen, plastic bag consumption and sugar-flavored beverages.
In the Karnataka case, the public has a high awareness of the mandatory voting law due to reports from Indian news media. The authors found no evidence of other policy changes, such as the introduction of the “All Above” (NOTA) voting option – involving an increase in turnout.
Policy Impacts outside India
Mandatory voting remains controversial, especially in countries where law enforcement raises concerns about equity and autonomy. But Singh believes that the government does not have to choose between heavy law enforcement and no action at all.
“You don’t need to punish people for encouraging voting,” he explained. “Sometimes, even without teeth, it’s enough to just have a mandatory voting.”
This study adds new depth to the debate on how to strengthen democratic participation, especially in places like the American stubborn America. Several U.S. states believe there is no mandatory voting bill with enforcement mechanisms, and this study provides new evidence that these policies are still in effect.
Posted in Election study. doi:10.1016/j.lectstud.2025.102951
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