On Monday, 16th October 2024, as part of the BRRIDGE (Horizon Europe Project) Lecture Series, Professor Filip Kostelka of the European University Institute (EUI) delivered a lecture at Matej Bel University on a pressing issue in contemporary democracies: voter fatigue and its impact on electoral participation. This event, titled “Understanding Voter Fatigue: Election Frequency and Electoral Abstention Approval,” offered groundbreaking insights into the psychological and institutional dynamics shaping voter behavior.
In his presentation, Professor Kostelka introduced a multi-year research agenda investigating the effects of increased election frequency on electoral participation in liberal democracies. Over the past five decades, citizens have been called to vote in an ever-expanding number of elections, raising concerns about voter engagement and turnout.
Kostelka’s lecture highlighted findings from a recent pre-registered survey experiment conducted across five countries, involving 12,221 respondents. This innovative study examined whether frequent elections lead to greater acceptance of electoral abstention.
Key insights included:
- The Normalization of Abstention: Frequent elections increase the social acceptability of not voting, even among those who consider voting a civic duty.
- Broad Impacts: The effects of election frequency were observed across all major social groups, including politically engaged citizens.
- Psychological Effects: The study offered pioneering evidence that high election frequency fosters voter fatigue, leading to proportional decreases in turnout as the number of past elections rises.
These findings hold profound implications for democratic citizenship, voter turnout, and institutional design, shedding light on the unintended consequences of increased citizen participation mechanisms.
Professor Filip Kostelka is a prominent scholar in comparative politics, specializing in electoral participation, political behavior, and democratic institutions. Based at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, he has established himself as a leading voice in understanding voter behavior in democracies.
His work frequently appears in high-impact journals, and his research bridges academic rigor with practical relevance, providing policymakers with evidence-based recommendations for enhancing democratic engagement.
BRRIDGE Lecture Series: Supporting Democratic Resilience
This lecture, organized by Jozef Michal Mintal of Matej Bel University, represents a significant contribution to the BRRIDGE Lecture Series, a program supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program. The series aims to explore key challenges and opportunities in sustaining democracy and human rights.
By addressing the complex dynamics of voter fatigue and turnout, Professor Kostelka’s presentation offered actionable insights for policymakers and academics seeking to design democratic systems that foster sustained citizen engagement.
