A Budget Allocation Problem: Campaign Strategy in Compulsory vs. Voluntary Voting Systems

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

Jack C. Massey College of Business

Department

Economics and Finance

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Colin Cannonier

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

This case study will analyze campaign strategy from the perspective of a campaign manager deciding how to allocate a limited budget during a national election. The main decision is how much to spend on voter turnout efforts versus voter persuasion. The project will focus on a comparison between the United States and Australia, where differences in voting laws create very different strategic environments.

In the United States, where voting is voluntary, campaigns must decide how much to invest in mobilizing supporters to actually show up and vote, in addition to persuading undecided voters. In contrast, in Australia, where voting is compulsory and turnout is consistently high, campaigns can focus more heavily on persuasion. This creates a clear economic trade-off in how resources are allocated.

Using managerial economics concepts such as marginal analysis and constrained optimization, this study will evaluate the return on spending in each category to determine the most effective allocation of resources. The analysis will use real-world data, including voter turnout rates, campaign spending data, and election outcomes, to measure effectiveness through changes in turnout and vote share. Data will be drawn from sources such as government election reports and international databases. Overall, this case study aims to show how institutional differences across countries shape strategic decision-making and campaign efficiency.

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