Going to the Polls or Feeding Children? An Empirical Investigation of Voter Turnout among Turkish Women with Children at Home

Abstract

This study is based on a data set published in the 2013 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey. The ordered logit econometric model is applied to examine the effects of the fertility preferences of women on their electoral participation. The results indicate that the number of children a woman has is negatively related to her electoral participation. The results also show that compared with women who had an additional child under six years and women who had an additional child between nine and thirteen years, women who had an additional child between six and nine years were less likely to vote. The estimation results indicate that married, educated, and high-income women are more likely to vote. These results also show that married women are more likely to vote when their income level increases. The estimation results also indicate that higher wealth status and educational attainment increase the electoral participation of women who have at least one child who is six years or younger. Moreover, the results indicate that the electoral participation of older women having a child at six years or younger is lower.