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How to Survey About Electoral Turnout? The Efficacy of the Face-Saving Response Items in 19 Different Contexts

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  • Morin-Chassé, Alexandre
  • Bol, Damien
  • Stephenson, Laura B.
  • Labbé St-Vincent, Simon

Abstract

Researchers studying electoral participation often rely on post-election surveys. However, the reported turnout rate is usually much higher in survey samples than in reality. Survey methodology research has shown that offering abstainers the opportunity to use face-saving response options succeeds at reducing overreporting by a range of 4–8 percentage points. This finding rests on survey experiments conducted in the United States after national elections. We offer a test of the efficacy of the face-saving response items through a series of wording experiments embedded in 19 post-election surveys in Europe and Canada, at four different levels of government. With greater variation in contexts, our analyses reveal a distribution of effect sizes ranging from null to minus 18 percentage points.

Suggested Citation

  • Morin-Chassé, Alexandre & Bol, Damien & Stephenson, Laura B. & Labbé St-Vincent, Simon, 2017. "How to Survey About Electoral Turnout? The Efficacy of the Face-Saving Response Items in 19 Different Contexts," Political Science Research and Methods, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(3), pages 575-584, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:pscirm:v:5:y:2017:i:03:p:575-584_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Daoust, Jean-François & Bélanger, Éric & Dassonneville, Ruth & Lachapelle, Erick & Nadeau, Richard & Becher, Michael & Brouard, Sylvain & Foucault, Martial & Hönnige, Christoph & Stegmueller, Daniel, 2020. "Face-Saving Strategies Increase Self-Reported Non-Compliance with COVID-19 Preventive Measures: Experimental Evidence from 12 Countries," SocArXiv tkrs7, Center for Open Science.
    2. Daoust, Jean-François & Nadeau, Richard & Dassonneville, Ruth & Lachapelle, Erick & Bélanger, Éric & Savoie, Justin & van der Linden, Clifton, 2020. "How to survey citizens’ compliance with COVID-19 public health measures? Evidence from three survey experiments," SocArXiv gursd, Center for Open Science.

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