Vote obligation and voter turnout in Cuba and Venezuela

Abstract

According to the theory, there is a correlation between mandatory voting and voter turnout. However, in some countries this type of correlation is not observed, more specifically, it is possible to highlight the cases of Cuba and Venezuela. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to analyze the relationship between social mobilizations and the rate of voter turnout in Cuba and Venezuela. It is assumed that the creation of mechanisms for political participation in the two countries had the consequence of having an impact on the rate of voter turnout. For this, a research was carried out with documentary analysis, historical analysis of Venezuela and Cuba. The partial conclusion is that the historical moments in which the electoral turnout increased coincided with manifestations of defense of the sovereignty of the two countries that helped in the formulation of the mechanisms of political participation contained in the constitutions of Cuba and Venezuela. Therefore, there is a common element between both processes.