Swamy 1

Viswanath Swamy
Dr. Buccellato
Honors Political Science 1010
April 1, 2015
The Impact of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on Low Voter Turnout
Introduction
This research paper analyzes the impact of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on
low voter turnout. Low voter turnout is an issue in nearly all democracies, including the United
States, many West European countries, and countries with traditionally high voter turnout like
Austria (Boulding, NGOs and Political Participation in Weak Democracies: Subnational
Evidence on Protest and Voter Turnout in Bolivia 457). I will define low voter turnout and
explain its significance in political participation. Next, I will describe NGOs and their influence
on political participation, while contrasting conventional and unconventional activities in regards
to strong and weak democratic contexts. I will further depict the mechanisms that NGOs
incorporate to encourage political participation. Lastly, I will evaluate the objectives of NGOs
and their overall effectiveness in different geographic and demographic factors. NGOs will
increase political participation in distinct political contexts, promoting interaction between
members of community while providing resources for political organization.
Background
Voter turnout refers to the percentage of eligible voters that cast a ballot in an election.
Robust voter turnout is considered fundamental to a healthy economy. Low voter turnout raises
many concerns in terms of representation; low turnout dictates low participation of less
privileged citizens (Cha). Increasing voter participation among low-income communities and

Swamy 2
communities of color brings more voices into the political system. Furthermore, unequal
participation due to disadvantages in political participation creates an unequal influence among
different demographics. Historically, turnout predictions overestimate actual turnout, and while
turnout is declining in most countries, it remains low for all levels of government. In the United
States, not only does turnout vary greatly by state, but low turnout is most apparent in primary
elections, local elections, and off-year elections (Boulding, NGOs and Political Participation in
Weak Democracies: Subnational Evidence on Protest and Voter Turnout in Bolivia 458). During
the 2012 elections, only 66% of eligible voters turned out to the polls in the nations 12 most
competitive states, while only 57% voted in the other 39 states. Factors such as voter registration
laws, identification laws, and accessibility also decrease voter turnout rates (Cha).
Voter turnout is also affected by demographic factors such as age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Based on statistics between 1972 and 2012, citizens under thirty years old had a
voter turnout rate approximately 20 points lower than citizens that were 30 years or older.
Furthermore, voter turnout was nearly 18% higher in eligible white and black voters than in
Latino and Asian Americans. Even though voting barriers such as poll taxes and literacy tests
have been removed, hence making it easier for citizens to register and vote, voter turnout
continues to decline. Certain studies have indicated that low voter turnout primarily represents
upper socioeconomic groups, causing policy makers to be disproportionately responsive to high
socioeconomic citizens (Cha). The importance of poor representation stems from the fact that
inequalities in participation lead to inequalities in policy outcomes. Therefore, low voter turnout
connotes disengagement and alienation among community members, causing lower confidence
in government and a danger to democracy (Budiman, 5).

Swamy 3
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are nongovernmental, nonprofit membership
and support organizations. They range from local provision of healthcare, sanitation and housing
services, and policy advice. Some NGOs focus strictly on political endeavors such as the
empowerment of the poor. NGOs mobilize individuals to participate in politics and other
activities, encouraging them to tackle common problems in their community (SEC & NGOs
Attempt to Ensure High Voter Turnout). Reports indicate that NGOs have a strong influence in
promoting voter turnout. Within the program Track the Vote, an NGO entitled NonProfit Vote
documented 33,741 individuals who registered to vote or signed a pledge to vote at 94 different
nonprofit service providers. NonProfit Vote along with other NGOs reports state that potential
voters who are contacted by NGOs vote at higher rates than average, registered voters - an
increase from 68% to 74%. Furthermore, NGOs increase voter turnout among groups that are
traditionally underrepresented in the electoral process, hence combating unequal participation
and unequal influence. NGOs also dictate significant increase in voter turnout among leastlikely voters - voters who are highly unlikely to vote based on their low propensity score.
Through NGOs, least-likely workers are three times more likely to vote than their counterparts.
Since personal contact from a known person is the strongest factor in voter mobilization, NGOs
are well suited for voter outreach (Cha; Jealous, Ben, and Ryan Haygood)
Although NGOs have high potential for increasing voter turnout, different political
settings alter their influence. Conventional belief suggests that if NGOs stimulate participation
by contributing to civil society in the expected way, i.e., mobilizing underrepresented citizens
to participate in politics, then there should be notable increases in voter turnout wherever NGOs
are present. In weak democratic settings, however, voting is not an appealing option. Rather, the

Swamy 4
same political mechanisms that incorporate members transcend into more unconventional
strategies of participation such as demonstrations and protest (Boulding, NGOs and Voter
Turnout: Do International and Domestic NGOs Affect Political Participation Differently 4).
Therefore, political context plays a role in determining how voter mobilization is translated into
action. Since protest and voting are both part of political participation, increases in NGO activity
can indicate increases in protest. Depending on the context, protest can be a NGOs strategy of
pressuring the government; it can also be an unintended consequence of a larger number of
people being involved whose demands are not being met and thus seek out other forms of action.
Thus, the relationship between NGO and political participation is dictated by the standards of the
electoral mechanisms in the political context (Cruickshank, 20).
NGOs utilize different mechanisms to increase political participation. The two most
distinct mechanisms include but are not limited to: allocation of resources for political
organization, and associational effects to facilitate interaction between community members.
NGOs bring financial, infrastructural, and educational resources to make participation easier.
Reducing financial strain and bettering infrastructure can make attendance to political events
much easier. Also, the addition of resources like computers, telephones, fax machines, and
vehicles are used to facilitate political organization (Lerner; qtd. in Sundstrom 8-16). The first
few elections of the Municipal Corporation in Punjab, India saw subsequent declines in voter
participation. An NGO entitled Awaa, however, printed pamphlets to distribute to various sectors
explaining the importance of voting. This educational resource, along with training sessions on
electronic voting, boosted voter turnout (SEC & NGOs Attempt to Ensure High Voter Turnout).
NGOs also provide space for people to associate with one another, increasing social capital and
building trustworthy relationships. As people become more connected with one another, and

Swamy 5
empowered through positive interactions, they are more likely to tackle difficult problems facing
their community. In other words, as more people come together, participation in politics is likely
to increase. Ultimately, NGOs can increase voter turnout by make registering to vote easier,
streamlining and simplify voting, attracting voters to an online voting database, and making
people excited about politics between elections (Lerner).
Evaluation
The objective of political NGOs is to encourage political participation and raise
awareness of shared problems in communities. The effectiveness of NGOs varies in the political
context. Studies between NGO activity and voter turnout studied in Bolivia revealed that NGO
activity had no significant impact on levels of voter turnout. Increases in NGOs from 1999-2004
in Bolivia represented a voter turnout distribution that was close to normal, having up and down
fluctuations. However, higher NGOs per capita revealed slightly higher turnout. Since Bolivia is
an example of a weak democratic institution, an insignificant connection between NGOs and
voter turnout is expected. Weak democratic institutions are typically associated with political
protest due to NGOs. However, protests could be just a factor of political dissatisfaction;
therefore, it is a vague correlation. NGOs typically have a stronger stimulus for protest in
countries with weak democratic institutions because when voting is presumed of having no real
change, newly mobilized people are more apt to protest (Boulding, NGOs and Political
Participation in Weak Democracies: Subnational Evidence on Protest and Voter Turnout in
Bolivia 460-464). In countries with stronger democratic institutions such as the United States,
NGOs are slightly more effective. In terms of demographics, the NGO Nonprofit Vote increased
voter turnout in Latino Voters from 54% to 72%, increased voters under 30 years old from 53%
to 68%, and increased voters with household incomes under $25,000 from 53% to 68%. NGOs

Swamy 6
like Nonprofit Vote narrow the common disparities in voter turnout such as age, income, and
race, increasing representation among all demographic groups. Thus, NGOs can only be
evaluated based on their political context. They are proven effective in increasing voter turnout
in stronger democratic settings and slightly increasing protesting in weaker demographic
contexts (Cha; qtd. in Hilton)
Conclusion
Low voter turnout continues to be a common issue in nearly all democracies. Low voter
turnout causes low-income communities to be underrepresented, causing individuals from higher
socio-economic classes to strongly influence policy and election decisions. To combat this, Nongovernmental organizations increase political participation by providing the resources for
political organization and associational effects to facilitate interaction between community
members. In weaker democracies, NGOs have insignificant effect on voter turnout; however,
they slightly increase political participation through protests. In contrast, in stronger economies
like the United States, NGOs have proven effective in increasing political participation and
building a stronger community.

Works Cited
Boulding, Carew E. "NGOs and Political Participation in Weak Democracies: Subnational
Evidence on Protest and Voter Turnout in Bolivia The Journal of Politics 72.02
(2010): 456. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

Swamy 7
Boulding, Carew E. "NGOs and Voter Turnout: Do International and Domestic NGOs Affect
Political Participation Differently." (2008): 1-25. All Academic. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Budiman, Arief. "Non-Government Organizations and Democratic
Participation in
Indonesia. Australian Journal of International Affairs 53.2 (1999):
218-20.
ProQuest. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Cha, Mijan. "Not-for-Profit, But Pro-Democracy: How NGOs Boost Voter Turnout." Demos.
N.p., 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Cruickshank, Susana. "Citizen Diplomacy in the 1990s: Multilateral Forums as
a Platform
For Citizen-Government Interaction." Revista Mexicana de Politica
Exterior.98
(2013): 19-47. ProQuest. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Haygood, Jealous, Ben, and Ryan. "The Battle to Protect the Vote." American Progress. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.
<https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/report/2014/12/05/102410/the-battleto-protect-the-vote/>.
Hilton, Matthew. "The Politics of Expertise - How NGOs Shaped Modern Britain." History &
Policy. N.p., Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Lerner, Kira. "5 Ways To Fix Americas Dismal Voter Turnout Problem." ThinkProgress RSS.
N.p., 09 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015

"SEC & NGOs Attempt to Ensure High Voter Turnout - Indian Express." Indian Express.

Swamy 8
Express News Service, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Sundstrom, Lisa McIntosh. Funding Civil Society: Foreign Assistance and NGO Development
in Russia Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2006. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
"The Civil Society." Canada and the World Backgrounder 09 2001: 24-9. ProQuest. Web. 1 Apr.
2015.