voter turnout

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German voter participation in the European elections

Participation in the German federal elections

The voter turnout reflects the proportion of eligible voters who actually voted in an election . Depending on the respective regional authority , those who have inserted an empty ballot paper or an invalid one are also counted among the voters. In public the term is mostly used in connection with political elections, but it can also be used in relation to other elections. In political elections, it is a form of political participation .

definition

The turnout is usually defined as the ratio of participating voters to the total number of all eligible voters:

${\displaystyle {\text{Wahlbeteiligung}}={\frac {{\text{W}}{\ddot {\text{a}}}{\text{hler}}}{\text{Wahlberechtigte}}}\cdot 100\,\%}$

For example, in the Austrian National Council election in 2008, the number of people entitled to vote was 6,333,109, of which 4,990,952 people actually voted. This results in a turnout of 78.81%. It can also be seen in this example that the number of ballots cast (number of voters) is the sum of the valid (4,887,309) and invalid (103,643) ballots. This method of calculation also applies in Germany and Switzerland. The number of voters is thus also the result of the total number of those entitled to vote minus the number of non-voters .

With this definition it should be taken into account that in some countries registration is required in order to be included in the electoral roll. In 2004, for example, the share of registered voters in the USA was 79% of those of voting age. The turnout based on all people of voting age was therefore only 55.27%.

Germany

In federal elections , the turnout (quota) was mostly over 85 percent until 1983, and since 1987 mostly below 80 percent. In state elections it is usually more than 50 percent, in local elections more than 45 percent. In the 2014 European elections it was 48.1 percent.

The highest voter turnout in free elections so far was in the Volkskammer election in 1990 in the GDR with 93.4 percent and in the 1972 federal election with 91.1 percent, the lowest (as of 2016) in the 2009 Bundestag election with 70.8 percent.

There is no minimum voter participation in Germany , i. that is, there is no minimum number of votes cast below which the election would be invalid. Blank ballot papers are considered invalid according to the Federal Election Act ( Section 39 Federal Election Act ).

At the federal, state, district and local levels, voter turnout has declined since its peak in the 1970s. The reasons for this downward trend, commonly known as electoral fatigue , are controversial. The normalization hypothesis refers to the historically and internationally unusually high voter turnout in Germany in the 50s and 60s and interprets the decline as normalization. Some political scientists and sociologists attribute this to the falling trust in party democracy due to broken election promises . In addition, the political differences between the parties are becoming more and more difficult to recognize (“ political disaffection ”). There is also the theory that falling voter turnout is a generational effect; In other words, a small number of the new cohorts entering the voting age would vote.

In order to illustrate the extent of this phenomenon, the image of a “party of non-voters” is sometimes used: If all non-voters had voted for another, fictitious party, this would be the strongest parliamentary group in some elections. The high number of non-voters and the increasing number of invalid votes result in a great potential for votes.

Bundestag elections

Participation in federal elections (1949-2017)

in% of eligible voters

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

49

53

57

61

65

69

72

76

80

83

87

90

94

98

02

05

09

13

17th

Bundestag election	Voter turnout in%
1949	78.5
1953	86.0
1957	87.8
1961	87.7
1965	86.8
1969	86.7
1972	91.1
1976	90.7
1980	88.6
1983	89.1
1987	84.3
1990	77.8
1994	79.0
1998	82.2
2002	79.1
2005	77.7
2009	70.8
2013	71.5
2017	76.2

Overall, voter turnout in Germany is at a higher level than in other countries (see Japan, USA) - despite the rather large drop in participation in the 2009 Bundestag election compared to the 2005 election.

Teenagers

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Overall, there is a decrease in the number of voters both among the entire population (1980: 88.6 percent - 2002: 79.1 percent) and among young people (up to 25) (1980: 79.65 percent - 2002: 69.15 percent) to observe. Since the up to 25-year-olds make up only eight percent of the electorate, they cannot be the only group responsible for the decrease in voter turnout. The difference between 1980 and 2002, i.e. the decrease in the proportion of voters, is somewhat greater among young people (10.5 percentage points) than among the population as a whole (eight percent). Broken down by gender, it can be seen that young and older women are always less likely to vote than men of the same age. As in the city, in rural areas there is a gap between the turnout of the general population (6%) and a lower level of trust in representative party democracy.

National Socialism and GDR

In the unfree elections to the Reichstag during the time of National Socialism and the People's Chamber in the GDR , significantly higher voter turnouts were officially shown than would have been possible with free elections. The turnout was portrayed in the respective propaganda as an expression of popular support for the regime.

Participation in the Reichstag elections under National Socialism, in which only one party ( NSDAP ) was allowed:

Reichstag election	Voter turnout in%
1933	95.2
1936	99.0
1938	99.6

Participation in the Volkskammer elections of the GDR (examples, since the order of magnitude did not change):

Volkskammer election	Voter turnout in%
1950	99.7
1986	99.74

But even in the first free elections in the GDR on March 18, 1990, the turnout was very high, but then fell sharply in the first state elections in October and the federal election in December 1990:

Volkskammer election	Voter turnout in%
1990	93.38

Austria

1919 to 1930

Participation in the National Council elections of the first republic from 1919:

National Council election	Voter turnout in%	Compared to the last election (in percentage points )
( 1919 )	(93.27)	-
1920	84.4	(−8.87)
1923	87.0	+2.6
1927	89.3	+2.3
1930	90.2	+0.9

Note: In 1919 there was no election to the National Council, but an election to the constituent National Assembly and is therefore in brackets in the table.

Since 1945

Participation in the National Council elections of the second republic from 1945:

National Council election	Voter turnout in%	Compared to the last election (in percentage points )
1945	93.27	-
1949	95.49	+2.22
1953	94.15	−1.34
1956	94.31	+0.16
1959	92.90	−1.41
1962	92.73	−0.17
1966	92.74	+0.01
1970	90.95	−1.79
1971	91.42	+0.47
1975	91.92	+0.50
1979	91.18	−0.74
1983	91.29	+0.11
1986	88.85	−3.07
1990	83.58	−5.27
1994	80.24	−3.34
1995	83.08	+2.84
1999	80.42	−2.66
2002	84.27	+3.85
2006	78.48	−5.79
2008	78.81	+0.33
2013	74.42	−4.39
2017	80.00	+5.58

Note: The particularly high voter turnout from 1945 to 1986 can be explained by the fact that (in some of the federal states ) voting was compulsory in Austria until the beginning of the 1990s .

Switzerland

The number of options for voting, the “ ballot box ”, is unique in Switzerland in the world - all government, cantonal and communal elections and referenda on constitutions, laws, financial proposals, popular initiatives, referendums, etc. combined.

In the “semi- direct democratic ” political system of Switzerland , those entitled to vote and to vote (the sovereign , the people , at the federal level not only men → women's suffrage in Switzerland ) are not only entitled to vote for their representatives ( municipality -, cantons - , National and Council of States , as well as the executive ), but also to exert direct influence on government and legislative activities through voting . There are four annual voting dates for this purpose. There are also elections for one of these “ ballots ” (in the usual rhythm of the legislature).

In Switzerland, voter participation is calculated by dividing the number of ballots or ballot papers submitted and inserted by the number of those entitled to vote. Votes or votes that have been made invalid are included in the voting / voter turnout.

${\displaystyle {\text{Stimm-/Wahlbeteiligung}}={\tfrac {\text{abgegebene Stimm-/Wahlzettel}}{\text{Stimm-/Wahlberechtigte}}}\cdot 100\,\%}$

Voting and election participation

In Switzerland, around 45 percent of those entitled to vote take part in votes and elections on average over many years, which in itself would be low in an international comparison. However, such comparisons do not take into account the fact that in a legislative period of (usually) four years there are sixteen voting dates, plus several voting topics ( proposals ). So it happens that political participation in Switzerland is massively underestimated in such comparisons.

Average turnout per vote, since 1951

10 year averages
1951-1960	50.3%
1961-1970	44.5%
1971-1980	41.2%
1981-1990	40.6%
1991-2000	43.0%
2001-2010	45.2%
2011-2020	46.4%
	100% (for comparison)

More thorough, more in-depth political studies show a different picture - three quarters of all voters “more or less” regularly “go to the ballot box ”, as a study by the University of Zurich and the Center for Democracy Aarau showed that the data from the cantons of Geneva and St. Gallen evaluated. In the city of St. Gallen over a period of around half a legislative period (seven voting dates). The evaluation shows that during this period, 75% of those eligible to vote took part in at least one of the seven “ ballots ” (with several submissions) that the study recorded. Furthermore, around 25% of those eligible to vote take part in all elections and votes, 20% in none, and 55% irregularly.

In the by Uwe Serdülle et al. examined the period 2010 to the beginning of 2012 with three voting dates per year at that time - i.e. three dates each in 2010 and 2011, one in 2012, a total of seven in a little over half a legislative period - 47% to 55 participated in the city of St. Gallen (see also graphic below) % of individual votes, 58% to 63% of one of two, 66% to 67% of one of three, 69% to 71% of one of four, 71% to 73% of one of five, 74% of one of six, 75% on one in seven. For the entire period of one legislature (plus another six votes, Q2 2010 to Q1 2014) the participation was 81.3% (in one of fifteen votes). In addition, there are the elections (at the federal level National Council and Council of States ), which are not included in the study , which means that the overall turnout is slightly higher.

Average turnout, city of St. Gallen

participation in	seven votes, 2010 to early 2012
individual votes	47% to 55%
one of two	58% to 63%
one of three	66% to 67%
one of four	69% to 71%
one of five	71% to 73%
one of six	74%
one of seven	75%
	fifteen votes, 2nd quarter 2010 to 1st quarter 2014
one in fifteen	81%
	100% (for comparison)

voter turnout

The voter turnout in Switzerland is - in those studies that consider it by isolated ballot / ballot - considered to be the "lowest in a democratic country". The reasons for this are generally seen in their political system . The principle of concordance means that sudden, major changes of power - as was common in the early days of Swiss democracy - are ruled out. As a result, the elections, compared to other countries - where elections are the focus of political participation - lose their "explosiveness".

Political participation in Switzerland is "massively higher" - around 75% to 80%. The decisive factor here is the high “density” of political participation, which in Switzerland mainly takes place in votes (see also voting and voter participation above ). Those entitled to vote are “called” every third month to take part in referendums at communal, cantonal and federal level. The elections, also at the communal, cantonal and federal level, take place in addition to one of the voting dates, in the rhythm of the respective legislative period that is usual elsewhere (usually four years).

Participation in the National Council elections

The turnout in Switzerland fell in the 20th century. In the first national council elections based on the proportional representation system in 1919, this figure was 80.4%, in 1999 it was only 43.4% of those entitled to vote who took part in the election. The greatest losses were observed in the three legislative periods from 1967 to 1979 - voter turnout fell from 65.7% (1967) by more than a quarter to 48.0% (1979).

The following table shows the turnout in National Council elections since the introduction of proportional representation :

National Council election	Voter turnout in%	Compared to the last election (in percentage points )
1919	80.4	-
1922	76.4	−4.0
1925	76.8	+0.4
1928	78.8	+2.0
1931	78.8	0.0
1935	78.3	−0.5
1939	74.3	−4.0
1943	70.0	−4.3
1947	72.4	+2.4
1951	71.2	−1.2
1955	70.1	−1.1
1959	68.5	−1.6
1963	66.1	−2.4
1967	65.7	−0.4
1971	56.9	−8.8
1975	52.4	−4.5
1979	48.0	−4.4
1983	48.9	+0.9
1987	46.5	−2.4
1991	46.0	−0.5
1995	42.2	−3.8
1999	43.3	+1.1
2003	45.2	+1.9
2007	48.3	+3.1
2011	48.5	+0.2
2015	48.5	0.0
2019	45.1	−3.4

Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is constitutionally defined as a “constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic-parliamentary basis” - with two sovereigns . The people on the one hand and the sovereign on the other. The people themselves can intervene in political events both directly and indirectly democratically. The state elections , in which 25 representatives are chosen, usually take place every 4 years.

Traditionally, voter turnout in the principality is very high. While it was over 90% in each case until the 1980s, it fell to around 85% by the state elections in 2009 .

State elections	Voter turnout in%	Compared to the last election (in percentage points )
1945	93.3	-
1949	91.9	−1.4
1953 a	90.7	−1.2
1953 b	93.3	+2.6
1957	93.4	+0.1
1958	96.4	+3.0
1962	94.9	−1.9
1966	95.6	+0.7
1970	94.9	−0.7
1974	95.6	+0.7
1978	95.7	+0.1
1982	95.4	−0.3
1986	93.3	−2.1
1989	90.9	−2.1
1993 a	87.5	−3.4
1993 b	85.3	−2.2
1997	86.9	+1.6
2001	86.8	−0.1
2005	86.5	−0.3
2009	84.6	−1.9
2013	79.8	−4.8
2017	77.8	−2.0

United States

The turnout in presidential and parliamentary elections in the USA is significantly lower than the European average. In the presidential elections, voter turnout fluctuated between 49% and 65% after 1900.

year	Eligible voters (in millions)	Registered voters (in millions)	Voter turnout (in%)
1824			26.9
1860			81.2
1900			73.2
1944			56.1
1948			51.1
1952			61.6
1956			59.3
1960	109.67	63.85	62.8
1964	114.09	73.71	61.4
1968	120.33	81.66	60.7
1972	140.78	97.28	55.1
1976	152.31	105.02	53.6
1980	164.60	113.04	52.8
1984	174.47	124.18	53.3
1988	182.63	126.38	50.3
1992	189.04	133.82	55.2
1996	196.51	146.21	49.0
2000	205.81	156.42	50.3
2004	197.01	142.07	63.8
2008	206.07	146.31	63.6
2012	215.08	153.16	61.8

Other countries

In France , it is customary not to indicate participation in the vote , but rather abstentions , i.e. the relative number of abstentions or non-voters , based on all (registered) voters.

In Spain elections always include the invalid ( esp . : nulos) and the empty ones (esp .: votos en blanco) , which are also invalid. As in Germany and Switzerland, they count among the electoral participants with the valid ones.

In various other countries, such as Belgium or Australia, voting is compulsory instead of the right to vote . Citizens who do not vote are then usually threatened with a fine , which means that voter turnout is high.

In Switzerland this affects the canton of Schaffhausen . A fine of six Swiss francs is levied.

literature

• Markus Freitag : voter turnout in western democracies. An analysis to explain differences in level . In: Swiss Political Science Review , 2.4, 1996, pp. 1-35
• Klaus Armingeon: Reasons and consequences of low voter turnout . In: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie , 46.1, 1994, pp. 43–64

Germany

• Rolf Becker: voter participation over the life course . In: KZfSS Cologne journal for sociology and social psychology , 54.2, 2002, pp. 246–263
• Ursula Feist: Low voter turnout - normalization or crisis symptom of democracy in Germany . In: Protest voters and those who refused to vote. Crisis of democracy . 1992, pp. 40-57
• Dieter Roth: Falling voter turnout - more normalization than a symptom of crisis . In: Karl Starzacher, Konrad Schacht, Bernd Friedrich, Thomas Leif (eds.): Protest voters and refusers. Crisis of democracy . 1992, pp. 58-68

Switzerland

• S. Veya: L'abstentionnisme , lic. Neuchâtel / Neuchâtel, 1992 (French)
• Alois Riklin : abstinence from voting and direct democracy , 1981
• Leonhard Neidhart: Causes of the current abstinence from voting in Switzerland , 1977
• Urs Engler: Voting Participation and Democracy , 1973
• Paul Trappe (Ed.): Participation and Abstinence , 1973

Web links

Wiktionary: voter turnout  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Elections and referendums in Austria
• Leonhard Neidhart: Voting and election participation. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . 28.3.2017 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ National Council election 2008 - election day, deadline, final overall result. BMI Austria
2. ^ Result of the 2009 Bundestag election. Federal Returning Officer Germany
3. ↑ voter turnout in% 1971-2007. ( Memento of November 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Statistics Switzerland
4. ↑ ^{a b} The American Presidency Project, Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections 1824 - 2008 (Eng.)
5. ↑ Werner T. Bauer: When the voters are less, Vienna, August 2004 (PDF).
6. ↑ Low voter turnout as a problem . Deutsche Welle September 13, 2005
7. ^ Official election results of the Federal Returning Officer
8. ^ Official final result of the elections for the 10th People's Chamber on March 18, 1990
9. ↑ Results of the Austrian National Council elections from 1919–1930 ( Memento from February 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 11 kB)
10. ^ Leonhard Neidhart: Voting and voter participation. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . 28.3.2017 .
11. ↑ Blank voting dates . Overview of planned voting dates for the next few years on admin.ch
12. ↑ ^{a b} votes . FSO / voting statistics, at bfs.admin.ch
13. ↑ Uwe Serdülle : Average Annual Turnout for Swiss Referendum Votes, 1879-2013 . Evaluation of the data from C2D and BSF / admin.ch , October 2012 (updated 2013), on his blog, uweserdult.wordpress.com (engl.)
14. ↑ ^{a b} Martin Senti: Switzerland is “democratic mediocrity” - Switzerland is democracy per se, according to popular opinion. But now a new rating has declared Switzerland to a certain extent a democratic developing country . In: NZZ , January 28, 2011
15. ^ ^{A b} Marc Bühlmann , Wolfgang Merkel , Bernhard Weßels , Lisa Müller : The Quality of Democracy. Democracy Barometer for Established Democracies , Working Paper 10a, NCCR, SNF , Zurich 2008 (engl.)
16. ↑ ^{a b} Quality of Democracy - Democracy Barometer for Established Democracies . 2005-…, project portal on WZB -Web (wzb.eu)
17. ↑ ^{a b} Erich Aschwanden: Political participation is massively underestimated: Center for Democracy Aarau examines voting participation over a longer period of time . In: NZZ , July 23, 2013
18. ↑ ^{a b c} Uwe Serdäne ( UZH , ZDA ): Participation as a norm and artefact in Swiss voting democracy: demystification of the average voter participation on the basis of voting register data from the city of St. Gallen. In: Andrea Good et al .: Direct Democracy: Challenges between Politics and Law: Festschrift for Andreas Auer on his 65th birthday , Stämpfli, Bern 2013, pp. 41–50 / in English: Uwe Serdäne: Switzerland . In: Matt Qvortrup (Ed.): Referendums around the World: The Continued Growth of Direct Democracy . Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke 2013
19. ↑ ^{a b c} Uwe Serdäne : Who is (not) participating and why? - Participation of citizens in participatory processes . Democracy Conference 2013 ( Info Kanton AG / Info Land BW ), State Government Baden-Wuerttemberg , Government Council of the Canton Aargau in cooperation with University of Konstanz and Center for Democracy Aarau (ZDA), Stuttgart, 20.-21. June 2013 (video, 15 min, on vimeo.com)
20. ↑ ^{a b} Articles by Uwe Serdäne - Ritsumeikan University & University of Zurich , on his blog (uweserdult.wordpress.com, see there also Publications ; engl.)
21. ↑ ^{a b c} Uwe Serdäne : How many voters of the St. Gallen electorate got mobilized to turn out at least once in four years? (81.3% in four years 2011-2014 with fifteen votes), analysis of data from the statistics of the canton of St. Gallen , May 6, 2014, on his blog, uweserdult.wordpress.com (English)
22. ↑ ^{a b} Uwe Serdült : Cumulative Turnout in a Swiss city . , November 3, 2013. on his blog, uweserdult.wordpress.com (engl.)
23. ↑ Turnout (Federal Statistical Office). Retrieved February 26, 2020 . 
24. ↑ U. S. Census Bureau ( Memento of October 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 45 kB; English).
25. ^ Voting and Registration Tables. U.S. Census Bureau; accessed on February 12, 2017.
26. ↑ Law on the votes and elections to be carried out by the people and on the exercise of the people's rights (election law) of March 15, 1904. Art. 9. In: Schaffhauser Rechtsbuch 1997, p. 4 , accessed on September 8, 2019 . 
27. ↑ Fines for non-voters. ( Memento from July 20, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Video In: 10vor10 from October 3, 2011 (4:31 minutes)