A remarkable degree of concern has been expressed about levels of voter turnout in established democracies in recent decades.
We should not be alarmist and exaggerated in describing the general trend in declining turnout across established democracies. As has been noticed, historical and institutional factors partly influence voting behaviour, yet, political participation continues to evolve into new and more specific forms, and it is very unlikely that citizens will abandon their power to influence political outcomes. At the same time, the persistence of the phenomenon over time should not be underestimated, particularly if we consider that cultural and sociological behaviour tend to constantly change, only at a very slow rate. Though, declining turnout in the past forty years could be seen, pessimistically, as the beginning of a long-term deepening tendency.
Why is Turnout at Elections Declining Across the Democratic World?
by Luca Ferrini
e-International Relations (e-IR)
http://www.e-ir.info/2012/09/27/why-is-turnout-at-elections-declining-across-the-democratic-world/