Download This PaperSafer Elections, Women Turnout, and Political Outcomes
40 Pages Posted: 8 Jan 2020 Last revised: 28 Apr 2020
Date Written: December 17, 2019
Abstract
This paper measures the effects of improving security at the polling booths in a significant state election in India. Using a novel dataset on voting and political outcomes at the booth-level and a regression discontinuity design, I find that the women share in total turnout is higher by 1.4 percentage points in the booths with a greater probability of treatment. Additionally, there are effects on political outcomes. In particular, the incumbent party, corrupt candidates lose, whereas the educated candidates gain vote shares, as a result of poll-booth safety. Overall, the evidence suggests that improving safety in elections has consequences for the political-economic equilibrium.
Keywords: Electoral malpractices, women turnout, booth-capturing
JEL Classification: D72, J16, O12, K42, O17
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