The adoption of compulsory voting rules voting in hybrid authoritarian regimes is best understood as a context-dependent survival strategy rather than an ideologically driven choice. Muhterem Merve Altintas shows that authoritarian incumbents turn to compulsory voting when they lack alternative resources to project political support or stability, particularly in periods marked by heightened political contention. By mandating electoral participation, regimes seek to increase turnout and redirect contentious politics toward elections as a relatively controlled form of participation and neutralize perceived threats to their rule.
Drawing on a comparative analysis of Türkiye and Greece, Origins of Compulsory Voting in Hybrid Authoritarian Regimes explores how different patterns of protest generated distinct forms of pressure on authoritarian authorities, ultimately leading to the implementation of compulsory voting. Through this strategic account, the book demonstrates how contentious politics shape authoritarian institutional choices. By focusing on the intersection of authoritarianism and electoral institutions, this offers a fresh contribution to debates on political participation under non-democratic rule.