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How Structural Factors Cause Turnout Variations at European Parliament Elections

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  • Mark N. Franklin

    (Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA, and University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

Abstract

The June 1999 elections to the European Parliament were the fourth to show lower turnout, suggesting to some a decline in support for the European project. This paper shows, however, that turnout decline has been built into the EC/EU enlargement process. In the first EP elections, voting was compulsory in 40% of participating countries; but no more compulsory voting countries have joined the EC/EU, so the effects of this variable have become increasingly diluted. An even more important factor has been the boost to turnout that new member countries generally enjoy at their first EP election. The loss of this boost in subsequent elections joins with the declining proportion of compulsory voting countries to explain virtually all the decline in turnout at EP elections since 1979. This finding emphasizes the importance of keeping track of the changing composition of the entity being studied when trying to understand electoral change.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark N. Franklin, 2001. "How Structural Factors Cause Turnout Variations at European Parliament Elections," European Union Politics, , vol. 2(3), pages 309-328, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:2:y:2001:i:3:p:309-328
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116501002003003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jackman, Robert W., 1987. "Political Institutions and Voter Turnout in the Industrial Democracies," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(2), pages 405-423, June.
    3. Franklin, Mark N., 1999. "Electoral Engineering and Cross-National Turnout Differences: What Role for Compulsory Voting?," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(1), pages 205-216, January.
    4. Powell, G. Bingham, 1986. "American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 80(1), pages 17-43, March.
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    1. repec:gig:joupla:v:1:y:2009:i:1:p:97-122 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Cigdem Kentmen-Cin, 2017. "What about Ambivalence and Indifference? Rethinking the Effects of European Attitudes on Voter Turnout in European Parliament Elections," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(6), pages 1343-1359, November.
    3. Hermann Schmitt & Ilke Toygür, 2016. "European Parliament Elections of May 2014: Driven by National Politics or EU Policy Making?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(1), pages 167-181.

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