Voters went to the polls yesterday to take part in round one of the French parliamentary elections. Following Emmanuel Macron’s ascension to the presidency last month, the question remained whether or not his anti-establishment En Marche party could back him up with a parliamentary majority. Here we bring you a comprehensive breakdown of the results in #Election News. Continue reading
The first round of the Serbian Presidential Election took place on Sunday, a second round runoff election will be avoided. Here you can find the result and the possible implications of the snap presidential election.
The major US news networks that make up the National Election Pool have enjoyed a monopoly over the collection of exit polling data for almost three decades. However, the 2016 presidential election saw the emergence of some new, digitally minded individuals involved in exit polling. Continue reading
Many see the advent of social media as a boost for democracy. Information is now shared through cyberspace unfettered by government or media censorship, allowing people to participate freely in democratic discourse. However, when exit polls and twitter mix it can have negative consequences for democracy. Here’s why. Continue reading
Exit polls are surveys which ask people how they voted directly after leaving the polling station. Since maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is a pillar of democracy, conducting exit polls is the only way to gain insights into how and why people voted in a particular way on election day. Continue reading
Democratic engagement is an issue. We know it and the European Commission knows it. Voter registration, engagement in the political processes and, crucially, voter turnout are problems as old as democracy itself, which unsurprisingly continue to present challenges in the 21st century. The Commission has, however, released a grant for new technologies to have a go at solving it.
With its numerous referendums, Switzerland is regarded as the model democratic state. However, a relative low number of citizens use this method of influencing politics directly. Previous referendums have had a voter turnout of around 30%. That is why the Swiss, as well as other countries, are thinking about introducing compulsory voting. In this part of our series, we have collected and summarized the advantages and disadvantages to this proposal. Continue reading
In North America, voting is not compulsory. In a democracy, individuals can decide for themselves if they make use of their right to vote. Still, non-voters are often in the media focus. Newspapers report about the voter turnout in elections even on Election Day. Days before, you can find raising requests to go vote in social media. Continue reading
In Germany, voting is a right which citizens can refuse to exercise. However, in other countries, it is compulsory. In the second part of our series, we present these countries and explain the consequences on society. Continue reading
Many years citizens have fought for suffrage – and still do. Suffrage is one of the highest commodities in democracy. A commodity, which many citizens see as natural. Therefore, some countries introduced compulsory voting, in some it is discussed.
An example is Switzerland, which is on the one hand admired for its referendums but on the other hand suffers from a low turnout. It is so low, that many ask to introduce an electoral duty. However, should a right become an obligation? Is this even democratic?
We try to find answers to these questions in our new series. Continue reading
Before every election, the appeals come to be part of the democratic process. They are directed at eligible voters to take up on their right to vote. These appeals are spread by politicians, artists and acquaintances. Continue reading
Many studies have attempted to find out who the non-voters are and what motivates them. All this information is gathered in order to find a solution to increase voter turnout. Continue reading