Political equality in unequal territories: the impact of territorial inequalities on voter turnout in Italy’s regional elections

ABSTRACT This study investigates how disparities in the distribution of economic, social, and institutional capital across territories affect voter turnout. Analysis of Italian regional elections held from 2003 to 2021 reveals that electoral participation is higher in more economically developed regions than in less developed ones. However, the effect of economic conditions becomes more tangible in territories featuring high levels of social interconnectedness, whilst the institutional capital does not have a significant effect on electoral participation. By showing that voter turnout depends on the interaction between social and economic factors, this study indicates the need for a holistic approach to encouraging political participation, combining long and short-term strategies addressing territories’ societal and economic assets. Another important implication of this article is that ‘context matters’ also at the subnational level. This suggests that future work on turnout should rely more on comparisons across territories within countries.