Under what circumstances could maximising turnout alter an election result?

This article analyses the potential for an alteration in turnout changing an election result, after taking into account the offices at stake, the electoral system, prior turnout, the number of parties competing, the division of the prior vote and the gap between the leader and second‐place party. A review of electoral processes in 29 European countries plus the United States finds that even if an increase in turnout altered the distribution of the national vote, this of itself is insufficient to alter an election result.