   
|
Elections and Electoral Law
| The turn-out in elections |
August 2004 |
 |
„When the Voter Vanishes” (as the title of the report goes) … becomes, as a rule, the topic of post-election-debate but not for long. Most regularly politicians proceed to normality very soon, as if nothing had happened. The present report is the first of its kind to name possible theoretical and concrete practical reasons for any decrease or increase in the electoral turn-out in Europe. In future it will not suffice to refer to a general lack of enthusiasm about politics when explanations on the turn-out will be requested, for in our report we deliver very many references on the voting habits, and, moreover, we are able to demonstrate that there is ways of how to increase the voter participation in elections.
|
|
|
 |
This document delivers a unique and compact survey on constitutions, state and government systems, parliaments and regional structures and, above all, the election systems existing in the 15 old and 10 new EU-member states. In an introduction the principal differences, the pros and contras, of the ‘first-past-the-post electoral system’ compared to the ‘system of proportional representation’ get explained. The report ends with an analytic comparison of government and electoral systems.
Download the Report (in German) (PDF) |
 |
The right to vote and to stand election for non-citizens in Europe has long been discussed. The EU-member states have no uniform approach to this question. Of course, the non-citizens’ voting rights are best realized on local levels, but far from existing in all countries. There are EU-members generously handling the question and others with a restrictive approach (e.g. Austria). The Austrian Convent for a Constitution reform will, however, be a good occasion to discuss this topic again. The present document gives a survey on local electoral law in the EU-member states.
Download the Report (in German) (PDF) |
| Election schedule Europe 2005-2009 |
Last update
May 2005 |
 |
This election schedule gives the dates for the elections ahead in the most important European countries, those of the heads of the countries as of the parliaments on national, regional and local levels for the years 2005-2009. The schedule is regularly up-dated.
Download the schedule (in German) (PDF) |
|
