Moreover, using panel data from the UK (@britishelectionstudy.com), I examine policy preferences of three voter types:
1️⃣Regular voters: they vote consistently 2️⃣Peripheral voters: they vote intermittently 3️⃣Perpetual non-voters: they almost never vote
They differ in their policy preferences. 8/10
When turnout is low, the electorate reflects regular voters' preferences.
Higher turnout brings peripheral voters into the mix and reduces this bias.
Perpetual non-voters also differ, but they are usually a smaller group, so they introduce less bias overall.
9/10
So what's the takeaway?
✅Good news: Voters and non-voters usually share similar policy preferences.
⚠️Bad news: When turnout is low, even small differences can introduce bias.
🗳️Overall: Low turnout isn't always a disaster for this specific question, but it is far from ideal.
10/10
