Campaign length and its impact on voter turnout

Abstract

This thesis examines campaign length and its effect on voter turnout. It uses a comparative approach to better understand how different countries deal with campaigns. This analysis looks at the last four elections from the US, UK, and Sweden to argue that an effective way to increase voter turnout in the government is to shorten the length of the campaign seasons. The shorter the campaign, the more individuals will turn out to vote. Shorter campaigns also mean that less money needs to be raised, which could limit corruption in politics. Shorter campaigns, it is argued in this thesis, are an effective answer to increasing overall voter turnout.