The total turnout is therefore likely to fall sharply in October next year, although the effect of this will differ greatly from party to party. CD&V – which, as the majority party, approved the abolition with long teeth – is least bothered by it. Only 17 percent of CD&V voters indicate that they will not or will probably not vote in October next year. N-VA can also count on a motivated electorate. With 34 percent of potential dropouts, the PTB/PVDA has the largest group of potential dropouts.
For the sake of clarity, the compulsory vote still applies to national and European elections. But if it were to be abolished there too, less than half would indicate that they would “always” vote.
More than eight out of ten Flemish people surveyed think democracy is a (very) good way to govern a country. But only half believe that Belgium is actually governed democratically at the moment, 34 percent even indicate that this is not the case.