There are many explanations for the survival of long-serving political parties, from access to state wealth to the use of excessive violence. A yet unexplored reason, particularly for parties that have survived under extreme conditions, is voter exit. In Death, Diversion, and Departure, Chipo Dendere shows that voter exit creates new opportunities for authoritarian regime survival. With an empirical focus on Zimbabwe, Dendere centers two types of voter exit: death and migration. She shows how the exit of young, urban, and working professional voters because of mass death due to the AIDS pandemic and mass migration in the wake of economic decline has increased the resilience of a regime that may have otherwise lost power. With authoritarianism on the rise globally and many citizens considering leaving home, Death, Diversion, and Departure provides timely insights into the impact of voter exit.

‘Chipo Dendere is rightly seen as one of the most insightful analysts of contemporary Zimbabwe. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand why the opposition are so weak, and why ZANU-PF are still in power'

Nic Cheeseman - author of Democracy in Africa, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham

‘This is a stunning book—sensitively drawing together quantitative and ethnographic data to reveal the impacts of human loss on loved ones and the nation. Dendere's expansion of voter exit to include HIV/AIDS deaths, HIV/AIDS-related caregiver fatigue, and migration brings us to a striking conclusion. What might those millions of Zimbabweans have done for the political landscape of their country? Voted for the opposition and stymied the survival of an electoral authoritarian regime.'

Jill E. Kelly - Associate Professor of History, Southern Methodist University

‘This book cuts through debates about why electoral autocracy has survived late into the 21st century in Zimbabwe with a fresh argument about the role of the HIV epidemic, the care work associated with illness and death, and emigration. Dendere documents the way that HIV/AIDS and mass emigration sapped the strength of the opposition movement that emerged in the early 2000s rather than fueling it through voter dissatisfaction. Dendere's analysis of demographic and public opinion data is thorough, but the best passages let the life stories of her network of interviewees shine through the text in vivid, humanistic detail.'

Lauren E. Young - Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California, Davis

‘This book is essential for studying autocratic resilience, demonstrating how voluntary and involuntary citizen withdrawal from politics weakens pro-democracy opposition and sustains authoritarianism. Through a rigorous Zimbabwe case study featuring impressive ethnographic and archival evidence, it highlights the crucial role of everyday political engagement for explaining autocratization and democratization, especially during crises.'

Nicholas Kerr - Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Florida