Absenteeism and electoral protest: different understandings in scientific constitutionalism and other social sciences

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Abstract

The purpose of the article is to streamline the categorical apparatus of the science of Electoral Law as a part of the science of Constitutional Law (scientific constitutionalism).

For the first time, the article draws attention to the different understanding of the categories of absenteeism, protest (political and electoral), as well as the legitimacy of the winning candidate by lawyers and representatives of other social sciences. Lawyers define absenteeism as non-participation in elections (from the word “absent”), and sociologists and political scientists as a form of political participation. In scientific constitutionalism, in addition to absenteeism, there is a broader category of electoral protest, which includes agitation against participation in elections and participation in various forms of protest.

Lawyers and representatives of other humanities have different understandings of the legitimacy of the candidate who won the election. For a lawyer, any winner is legitimate, regardless of the percentage of votes received, unless proven otherwise in court. Representatives of other sciences tend to measure the legitimacy of the winner in terms of the percentage of votes.

The role of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and electoral technologies in the evolution of protest voting in Russia is considered. The author proves the need to return the line “against all” and the turnout threshold in the elections, which would guarantee civilized forms of electoral protest.

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About the authors

Natalya A. Bobrova

Togliatti State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: bobrovana@mail.ru

Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Deputy of the Samara Provincial Duma, Professor of the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law

Russian Federation, 14 Belorusskaya str., 445020 Tolyatti

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