The Motivation to Vote

In this deceptively simple book, Blais and Daoust focus on the civic essentials of why we vote: enjoyment, duty, and care. As for most other claims, the authors are not convinced. Neither should we be. Richard Johnston, Canada Research Chair in Public Opinion, Elections, and Representation, Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia

The Motivation to Vote tackles perhaps the singularly most important features of democracy. Written by the leading scholar of electoral participation in the world and by one of its most promising emerging scholars, it carefully tends to all the significant questions. As concern about the future of democracy rises, Blais and Daoust’s measured analyses contrast with the anxiety and fervor surrounding this topic worldwide. Their insights are fresh and original, and their work should influence politicians as well as scholars. John Aldrich, Pfizer, Inc./Edmund T. Pratt, Jr., University Professor of Political Science, Duke University

Blais and Daoust have written a much-needed book that is both elegant and comprehensive. They address one of the core and most complex political science questions by presenting a wealth of new comparative data and imparting insight that comes from a lifetime of research devoted to understanding why people vote. The answers they provide are both clear and compelling. A gift for anyone interested in elections and political behaviour. Eva Anduiza Perea, professor of political science, Autonomous University of Barcelona

This is a wonderfully concise and persuasive book on what drives people to vote in elections. The argument – that people vote because they are interested and they feel they ought to – is supported by extensive new evidence from five different countries. Edward Fieldhouse, professor of social and political science, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester

The Motivation to Vote makes a clear, elegant contribution to the voluminous literature on voter turnout. Built on decades of comparative research by one of the leading comparative scholars of voting behaviour, it impresses with its succinctness of style and concise explanation of four key factors that capture most of what we need to know about who votes and who does not. Markus Prior, professor of politics and public affairs, Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Politics, Princeton University

Blais and Daoust have written an exceptionally clear, concise, and informative treatise on what motivates people to turn out at the polls. Well-grounded in the most recent findings in this complex area of research, this volume will stand out for its clarity and simplicity. Their investigation into whether voting is a habit and their use of comparative data are particularly impressive. This book is sure to become a classic text for anyone who studies voting behaviour or elections. Laura B. Stephenson, co-director of the Consortium on Electoral Democracy and professor of political science, University of Western Ontario