A Polish government policy that promised free fire trucks to towns with the highest voter turnout successfully swayed a national presidential election.
April 23, 2026
Original Paper
Turnout on Fire: How Local Incentives Shape National Elections
SSRN · 6628862
The Takeaway
Local material incentives can have a profound impact on the outcome of high-level democratic contests. The Polish government offered tangible rewards to municipalities that showed the most engagement at the polls. While voters are expected to cast ballots based on ideology or national policy, the prospect of a new fire truck proved to be a powerful motivator. This strategy increased turnout enough to influence a very close presidential race. It suggests that the future of democracy might depend more on local utility than on grand political visions.
From the abstract
Voter turnout is fundamental for democratic legitimacy, but converting support into ballots has been challenging for politicians. We study the effects of one such policy to increase voter turnout implemented in Poland---a contest for fire trucks in small municipalities---that created a natural experiment. By using a battery of design-based empirical approaches, we document that the policy increased voter turnout in small municipalities, which contributed to the incumbent’s victory in a close pres