ECIN Replication Package for "Unconditional Cash Transfers & Voter Turnout"

We estimate the effect of unconditional cash transfers on voter turnout, leveraging a large-scale natural experiment, the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) program, which has provided residents with a check of varying size one month before election day since 1982. We find that larger transfers cause people to vote, especially in gubernatorial elections in which a 10\% increase in cash ($182) causes a 1.4 percentage point increase in turnout. Effects are concentrated among the young and poor. Survey data suggests the mechanism is reduced voter apathy. Implications are discussed.