Project Info
Principal Investigator
Pedro Vicente
Managing Institution
CSAE – University of Oxford
Partnership
Comissão Nacional de Eleições de São Tomé e Príncipe
ActionAid International Nigeria
Jornal A Verdade (Mozambique)
Observatório Eleitoral (Mozambique)
About this Project
A collaborative effort with CSAE at Oxford University
We have unique expertise on impact evaluation of voter education campaigns in Africa. We have designed and conducted randomized control trials during electoral campaigns in Sao Tome and Principe (presidential elections of 2006), Nigeria (full round of national and state level elections of 2007), and Mozambique (parliamentary/presidential elections of 2009).
In Sao Tome and Principe we have worked with the Comissão Eleitoral de Eleições. The campaigned focused on counteracting vote-buying, known in the country as ‘banho’. The research has found that vote-buying increases voter turnout and that challengers may be particularly reliant on this electoral strategy. view more
In Nigeria we have partnered with ActionAid International Nigeria (AAIN). AAIN implemented an anti-violence campaign, trying to provide an added sense of security to voters and appealing to participation in the elections. The campaign was conducted nationwide, in six states of Nigeria (Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Plateau, Delta, and Rivers). The research has found that electoral violence is analogous to terrorism, as it is aimed to keep voters from voting.
view more at Votes and Violence: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria
view more at Political Violence and Social Networks: Experimental Evidence from a Nigerian Election
In Mozambique, we have collaborated with free newspaper A Verdade and the consortium of national NGOs Observatório Eleitoral. We tested different forms of voter education. We employed an SMS-based system (using free software ushahidi) which enabled voters to receive and send information about the elections. The research has found that voter education increases turnout; however different forms of voter education have different effects on perceptions of voters. view more
Please read here the article published in Public Choice.
Please read here the article published in the Journal of Development Economics.
Please read here the article on votes and violence published in The Economic Journal.
Please read here the article on the effectiveness of vote-buying published in The Economic Journal.
Please read here the working paper and here the article published in the Review of Economics and Statistics.
Please read here the working paper and here the article published in the Economic Development and Cultural Change.
Contributing to SDGs: