Laskeva äänestysaktiivisuus sukupolvi-ilmiönä

Authors

• Tuomo Martikainen
• Hanna Wass

Abstract

The declining voter turnout since the mid-1960’s has been a subject of great concern in Finland. Non-voting has increased most markedly among the young age cohorts: for example in the age group of 23–33 year olds (turnout 57 %), 304 000 electors turned their back on politics in the parliamentary elections of 1999. Age is undoubtedly the dominant factor determining turnout, and its impact has become even stronger over the years as abstention has become prevalent among young people in general, from a variety of social backgrounds. Voting does not seem to relate to an individual’s life cycle anymore. It appears that abstention has, to a large extent, become a permanent feature of young people’s political orientation and political behaviour. Life cycle interpretations must now yield to more appropriate explanations of generational effect.