ABSTRACT
Although large proportions of the electorate once embraced early elections in many post-communist countries, enthusiasm for engaging in the democratic process appears to have faded. In the first wave of open and competitive elections average turnout rates were around 80%. Since then, there has been a dramatic decline in turnout observed in a number of studies (Kostadinova 2003; Pacek, Pop-Eleches, and Tucker 2009). Turnout in recent elections appears lower than the rates observed in Western Europe, where concerns have also been raised about low turnout.1
