Voter Turnout in Western Europe Since 1945: A Regional Report

This first Regional Report on Voter Turnout is developed from the IDEA Global Voter Turnout database, which contains statistics from 170 countries for parliamentary and presidential elections since 1945 and is continually updated.

The Report brings together information and analysis of electoral turnout in Western Europe. Is there a general problem of participation in Western European elections? Is the `EuroGap' - the lower level of turnout evident in elections for the European Parliament - a problem specific to the European Union as an institution or is it symptomatic of a wider decline in participation? Are there practical measures that can be taken to increase electoral turnout? Who should be responsible for doing this?

Legislators, election administrators, commentators, civil society organisations and the media may all be involved in seeking the answers to these questions. The Report addresses issues which may be linked to turnout questions, including electoral systems, polling arrangements, compulsory voting and the opportunities and threats posed by new technology. All participants in the debate will benefit from the development of tools which seek to identify the factors which can promote electoral turnout and their impact on the electoral process.

A supplementary chapter entitled “Europe Expands, Turnout Falls: The Significance of the 2004 European Parliament Election”was produced following the EU Parliamentary elections of June 2004. Similarly to the Report, this supplement brings together information and analysis of electoral turnout in Western Europe, but with specific reference to the latest elections to the Parliament in June 2004.