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<p>Modern democracy derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed, yet its electoral systems provide no formal mechanism to withhold that consent. This structural deficit fuels polarization, non-participation, and false mandates. This paper introduces the Negative Vote—a system allowing voters to cast either YES for a candidate or NO against one—and presents cross-national survey evidence that this power to reject mobilizes disaffected voters. Data from eight independent surveys in Taiwan and the United States show that formalizing dissent increases participation by 4–10 percentage points. This increased participation, driven by previously disengaged centrists, may correct "wrong winner" outcomes in close elections and incentivizes candidates to appeal beyond their partisan base. This paper argues that the right to formally reject candidates is fundamental to democratic legitimacy and demonstrates its practical feasibility through international precedents.</p>

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Negative vote can improve democracy

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月6日

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  • Tien-Shang Chang

摘要

Modern democracy derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed, yet its electoral systems provide no formal mechanism to withhold that consent. This structural deficit fuels polarization, non-participation, and false mandates. This paper introduces the Negative Vote—a system allowing voters to cast either YES for a candidate or NO against one—and presents cross-national survey evidence that this power to reject mobilizes disaffected voters. Data from eight independent surveys in Taiwan and the United States show that formalizing dissent increases participation by 4–10 percentage points. This increased participation, driven by previously disengaged centrists, may correct "wrong winner" outcomes in close elections and incentivizes candidates to appeal beyond their partisan base. This paper argues that the right to formally reject candidates is fundamental to democratic legitimacy and demonstrates its practical feasibility through international precedents.