Uneven participation of voters and obligatory voting

Abstract

Elections are the most wide-spread form of political participation in which as a rule, the greatest number of voters take part. By making an electoral decision, citizens, as individuals, constitute representative bodies, which are un-proportionally smaller than the voting body, and which will make decision that are of concern of the whole community - of all citizens. That is why it is important that a large number of citizens participates in electoral process, as it increases legitimacy of representative bodies takes away doubts that the community is run by a minority and constrains a possibility that laws which are against the will of majority are passed. Contemporary democracies, almost without an exception, encounter the problem of abstinence of voters which jeopardizes basic principles of representation. Uneven participation of voters at elections brings about uneven influence at making political decisions. Obligatory voting is one of the instruments which stays at disposal of designers of electoral system in prevention of abstinence. This paper discusses advantages and disadvantages of this electoral institute, various experiences in its use, as well as its political consequences in a party and parliamentary system.

Izbori su najrasprostranjeniji oblik političke participacije u kome, po pravilu, učestvuje najveći broj građana. Donoseći izbornu odluku, kao pojedinci, glasanjem građani konstituišu predstavnička tela, po broju nesrazmerno manja nego što je to biračko telo, a ono će donositi odluke koje se odnose na čitavu zajednicu - na sve građane. Upravo zato je važno da u donošenju izborne odluke učestvuje što veći broj građana, jer to povećava legitimnost predstavničkih tela, otklanja sumnje da zajednicom upravlja manjina, i sprečava mogućnost da se donose zakoni suprotno volji većine. Savremene demokratije, gotovo bez izuzetka, sreću se sa problemom apstinencije koji ugrožava osnovne principe pred-stavljanja. Nejednako učešće birača na izborima proizvodi nejednak uticaj na donošenje političkih odluka. Obavezno glasanje jedan je od instrumenata koji stoji na raspolaganju dizajnerima izbornog sistema u sprečavanju apstinencije. Ovaj članak posvećen je prednostima i nedostatcima ovog izbornog instituta, iskustvima njegovog korišćenja, kao i političkim posledicama u partijskom i parlamentarnom sistemu.