L'abstentionnisme électoral en Belgique : données individuelles et agrégées à Charleroi

Abstract

Electoral absenteeism is a common studied subject in the Anglo-Saxon and French scientific world. But researches about it in Belgium, where voting is compulsory are not far from being null. The purpose of this article is to analyze how variables such as age, ethnic origins, gender and social and economical status are important regarding the abstention rate. Two analysis will be done successively: an individual one in five different voting stations in Charleroi then an ecological one via a multivariate analysis in four former municipalities of the city of Charleroi. It shows the significant importance of the age and origin factors in both individual and ecological studies. On the other hand, the gender fact has no real impact on the abstention rate as long as the age is not taken into account. Furthermore, the multivariate study emphasizes the fact that an immigrate environment clearly tends to rise up the abstention rate, whereas the social status does not influence this reality that much. In the end, we can point out that the abstention rate is more significant in areas where there are a lot of rest homes inside this specific region of Belgium .

Keywords

• turnout
• electoral attendance sheet
• Charleroi
• compulsory voting
• statistical sectors