ABSTRACT
While political theorists vary in their assessments of the role of high voter turnout as a prerequisite for liberal democracy, they almost unequivocally contend that a high degree of citizens' involvement in the electoral process is an essential indicator of the quality of democracy. Autocrats are primary players in the game of authoritarian elections. Unlike in democracies, authoritarian rulers are both willing and capable of building their election-related institutional devices and political strategies in a way that ensures their political survival and consolidates their grasp on power. In both democracies and autocracies, the goal of the incumbent is to win elections. The difference, however, is the means and costs. The instrumental theories of voting posit that electors turn out to vote in order to affect policy outcomes and/or to punish governments for poor performance, particularly in the management of the national economy.
