ensure that of those who turnout, as many vote for you as possible (61) CV encourages candidates to engage with those Alienated in the Political System JMR Keaney, Emily and Ben Rogers. A Citizens Duty Voter Inequality and the Case for Compulsory Turnout Institute for Public Policy Research. May 2006. Pg 29 Compulsory turnout not only increases turnout, it also cuts down the cost of political campaigning and encourages the political parties to engage with those groups least interested in politics or most dissatisfied with the political system. Where turnout is voluntary, most political parties focus on motivating their supporters to vote, rather than winning the support of undecided voters. Both national and local campaigning tend to be directed to this end. Where turnout is compulsory, however, parties can generally rely on their supporters turning out. This can reduce the cost of electioneering and/or encourage parties to concentrate on winning over people who do not support any political party – people who often feel alienated from the political system. This in turn can increase the public’s sense of political efficacy and their confidence in the political system (Lijphart 1997).
