Traditional Beliefs and Electoral Turnout in Togo and Tanzania

Riccardo Pelizzo, Abel Kinyondo, Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev

2026

Data confidence 70 medium

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines how traditional beliefs shape electoral participation in Togo and Tanzania, two Sub‐Saharan African countries facing political turmoil. Using original survey data collected through face‐to‐face interviews in 2025 (Togo, n = 185; Tanzania, n = 200), we use logistic regressions to test whether traditional beliefs and practices predict voter turnout and party preference. Contrary to earlier findings, we show that traditionally minded voters are now more likely to vote in both countries, and, in Tanzania, are now more likely to support the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party. These results suggest that, in times of political instability and institutional uncertainty, traditionally minded voters become more likely to participate in elections as a means of safeguarding the status quo, reflecting their aversion to change and highlighting the enduring influence of traditional beliefs on political behavior in contemporary Africa.