Voter turnout in second-order elections, like regional or local races, is declining significantly across many democracies. This paper explores how holding multiple low-salience elections at the same time could increase participation by making voting seem less costly relative to individuals.
\u{1F4A5} The Puzzle: Voter engagement drops in secondary elections even when they are legally important.
\u{1F9E0} Concurrent Elections Idea: Holding multiple elections together should lower the cost for voters because each vote requires similar effort. This "economy of scale" approach suggests higher turnout than stand-alone races.
\u{23FE5} Methodology & Evidence: Using quasi-random timing variations in German local elections, we estimate a causal impact. We find that concurrent mayoral contests lead to about 10 percentage points more voter participation overall.
\u{1F4D6} Qualifications: The effect depends on district size and the competitiveness of the local race. We don't assume simultaneous elections always boost turnout, but show conditions make a difference.
