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VOTER TURNOUT Since 1945 VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 1 VOTER TURNOUT since 1945 A Global Report VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 2 VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 3 VOTER TURNOUT since 1945 Rafael López Pintor Maria Gratschew with Jamal Adimi, Julie Ballington, Craig Brians, Sergei Lounev, Dieter Nohlen, Pippa Norris, Smita Notosusanto, Kate Sullivan, Edmundo Urrutia A Global Report VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 4 Voter Turnout Since 1945 A Global Report © International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) 2002 All rights reserved. This is the third book in the voter turnout series, previously entitled Voter Turnout from 1945 to 1997: a Global Report on Political Participation. Applications for permission to reproduce all or any part of this publication should be made to: Publications Officer, International IDEA, SE -103 34 Stockholm, Sweden. International IDEA encourages dissemination of its work and will respond promptly to requests for permission for reproduction or translation. This is an International IDEA publica- tion. International IDEA’s publications are not a reflection of specific national or political inter- ests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA’s Board or Council members. Maps created for this publication in order to add clarity to the text do not imply any judgement on the part of the Institute on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement of any boundaries, nor does the placement or size of any country or territory reflect a political view of the Institute. Design & layout: Holmberg Design AB Cover Photos: © Theresa Laanela, © Julie Ballington, © Bruce Weaver - AFP Map design: Martin Ek, adjusted by Holmberg & Holmberg Design AB Printed and bound by: Bulls Tryckeri, Halmstad ISBN: 91-89098-61-7 4 Voter Turnout Since 1945 A Global Report VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 5 Contents PAGE PREFACE .............................................................................................................................................................7 METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION Political Participation in New and Old Democracies ..............................................................................13 VOTER REGISTRATION Voter Registration and Inclusive Democracy: Analysing Registration Practices World-wide ..........................................................................................23 Voter Registration Today: A Gateway to Enfranchisement ..................................................................33 Case Studies: Guatemala ..........................................................................................................................................................37 Personal Vignette: Guatemala .....................................................................................................................43 Indonesia ...........................................................................................................................................................45 Russia ..................................................................................................................................................................51 South Africa ......................................................................................................................................................55 United States of America .............................................................................................................................61 Personal Vignette: USA..................................................................................................................................65 Yemen ................................................................................................................................................................67 VOTER TURNOUT Voter Turnout Rates from a Comparative Perspective .........................................................................75 Women’s Power at the Ballot Box ...............................................................................................................95 Compulsory Voting .........................................................................................................................................105 Trends in Youth Voter Turnout........................................................................................................................111 THE INTERNATIONAL IDEA DATABASE: VOTER TURNOUT FROM 1945 TO 2001 Definitions ...........................................................................................................................................................119 Parliamentary Elections .................................................................................................................................125 Presidential Elections .....................................................................................................................................157 CONTRIBUTORS....................................................................................................................................171 GENERAL SOURCES ......................................................................................................................173 COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SOURCES .............................................................................................175 BOXES Choosing Politicians by Lottery: An Option for the Future? ................................................................92 Voting for the Disabled ..................................................................................................................................103 Internet Voting ...................................................................................................................................................115 Several-Day Polling...........................................................................................................................................115 Day of Election ..................................................................................................................................................116 5 VT_Inlay.qxp.1 02 02 11 14.50 Sida 6 Figures VOTER REGISTRATION AND INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY Is it compulsory to register? Figure 1 .........................................................................................................31 How often is the register updated? Figure 2 ...........................................................................................31 GUATEMALA CASE STUDY Voter turnout in Guatemala, 1950 -1999, Figure 3 .................................................................................40 RUSSIA CASE STUDY Turnout in Russia, 1989-2000, Figure 4 ......................................................................................................52 Parliamentary statistics for Bashkortostan, Figure 5.............................................................................53 USA CASE STUDY Voter registration statistics in the USA over time, Figure 6 ...............................................................62 YEMEN CASE STUDY Registration divides, Yemen, Figure 7 .........................................................................................................69 Some relevant socio-demographics and voter registration figures by province, Yemen, 1999, Figure 8 ......................................................................................................................................70 VOTER TURNOUT RATES FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Worldwide turnout, 1945-2001, Figure 9....................................................................................................76 Average turnout by region over time, Figure 10......................................................................................77 League table by country vote to registration ratio, Figure 11 ............................................................78 League table by region vote to registration ratio, Figure 12...............................................................80 League table by country vote to voting age population ratio, Figure 13........................................83 Differences between established democracies and other states over time, Figure 14 .............................................................................................................................85 Freedom House rating and voter turnout, Figure 15 .............................................................................86 Literacy and turnout, Figure 16......................................................................................................................86 Vote to registration ratio, by GDP per capita, most recent parliamentary elections, Figure 17 ...............................................................................................................87 Vote to registration ratio by population size, parliamentary elections, 1945 - 2001, Figure 18 ......................................................................................................................................87 Electoral system and turnout, Figure 19 ....................................................................................................88 Differences between parliamentary and presidential elections, Figure 20...................................90
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