ABSTRACT
Introduction:
We evaluate the effect of candidates age on the variations of the electoral turnout according to the age range.
Materials and Methods:
We used the 2013 Chilean legislative elections as a case-study. Based on a multivariate linear regression model, we measure the effect of the candidates age on the electoral turnout.
Results:
We conclude that presence of young candidates (aged 30 or younger) increase electoral turnout from 18 to 29 voters , being irrelevant in voters aged from 30 to 59, and discouraging participation in voters aged 60 or older.
Discussion:
We suggest this effect is not homogeneous according to the levels of communal poverty. The presence of young candidates increases electoral turnout only in communes with poverty levels equal to or below average.
Keywords:
electoral turnout; age; candidates; class-biased; elections; Chile