Engaging the Electorate: Initiatives to Promote Voter Turnout From Around the World

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The past several decades have witnessed a general decline in voter turnout throughout the world, and, while there is little agreement as to what specifically constitutes a good level of turnout, recent declines in many countries have raised concern among governments, non-governmental organizations, and citizens. The intention of this publication is to examine some of the efforts made throughout the world to stem and/or reverse the decline in voter turnout, and to attempt to maximize turnout at electoral events of all types, including elections, referendums and citizens’ initiatives.

All electoral events involve many factors operating at different levels, which have varying effects on voter turnout. Some cannot be easily manipulated, requiring vast social transformation or even alterations to a country’s election laws. Other elements, however, are more malleable, and it is at this practical level that this inventory intends to present a selection of ideas used throughout the world that may work to encourage voter turnout in suitable contexts. There is an enormous range of activity worldwide on which to draw for case studies and examples that illustrate effective practice and/or imaginative initiatives. Some of these are presented here under a categorization framework defined by:

• Information campaigns
• Advertising campaigns
• Grass-roots movements
• School/mock elections and other special-purpose programmes
  
• Entertainment, and
  
• Inducements

Foreword

Preface

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Section I. Introduction

• The Structure of This Book
• 1. Theories of Democracy
• 2. Why Voter Turnout Varies
• • 2a. Contextual and Systemic Factors
  • 2b. Individual and Social Factors
• 3. The Issue of Young Voters
• 4. Practical Concerns for Government

Section II. Initiatives and Activities

• 1. Information Campaigns (‘how’)
• 2. Advertising Campaigns (‘why’)
• 3. Grass-roots Movements
• 4. School/Mock Elections and Other Special-purpose Educational Programmes
• 5. Entertainment
• 6. Inducements

Section III. Case Studies

• 1. Information Campaigns
• • Making the Electoral Process as Easy as Possible: Elections New Zealand
  • Educating the Voter about the Electoral Process: The Swedish Election Authority
  • Making Democracy Accessible for Everyone: The National Office of Electoral Processes, Peru
• 2. Advertising Campaigns
• • Convincing Voters that Their Vote is Important: The Association Civisme Démocratie (CIDEM) in France
  • Making Politics Relevant: The Electoral Commission, United Kingdom
• 3. Grass-roots Movements
• • Identifying and Engaging the Under-represented: The Minnesota Participation Project in the USA
  • Teaching Citizens to Protect Their Democratic Rights: Pora in Ukraine and Similar Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe
• 4. School/Mock Elections and Other Special-purpose Educational Programmes
• • Educating Young People Through Participation in the Voting Process: Student Vote in Canada
  • Informing Young People of the Need for Conscientious Voting: Eleitor do Futuro (Voter of the Future) in Brazil
• 5. Entertainment
• • Teaching Political Participation Through Theatre: The Réseau de communication d’information et de formation des femmes dans les organisations non-gouvernementaux (RECIF/ONG) in Burkina Faso
  • Rock Volieb and the 1998 Parliamentary Elections in Slovakia: Rocking the Vote Slovak Style
• 6. Inducements
• • The 1995 Municipal Elections Lottery in Norway
  • The 2005 Parliamentary Election Lottery in Bulgaria

Section IV. Conclusions

References and Further Reading

Annexes

• A. Matrix of Types of Initiative, with Problems Addressed and Methods Used
  
• B. Inventory of Selected Organizations Involved in Promoting Voter Turnout, with Contact Information
  with Contact Information
  
• C. Voter Turnout Statistics from around the World in National-level Elections, 1945–2006
  
• D. About the Contributors
  
• E. About International IDEA

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