ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of the US electoral system on turnout. Electoral systems are rules of the game that determine how votes are cast in a country's elections and how those votes are translated into governmental power. The chapter focuses on the effect that plurality systems (single-member district (SMD) elections in particular) have on turnout. Many people argue that the lack of choices in the two-party system in the United States is a central cause of low turnout. They point to the high turnout rates in Proportional representation (PR) systems and conclude that the existence of multiple parties in a PR system leads to higher turnout because voters have more choice. The body of research on proportional versus plurality electoral systems indicates that turnout is higher in PR systems than in plurality systems. The chapter discusses the United States and its plurality electoral system in the broader context of electoral systems across industrialized democracies.
