Citizenship, development and election attendance

conditioning factors for political participation in small municipalities

Abstract

The objective of the article is to discuss the rates of election attendance in small Brazilian municipalities. What factors interfere with the participation of local polling stations? Can the socioeconomic and demographic contexts be considered variables for understanding the rates of electoral participation? If so, how? The cases of the municipalities with the highest abstention, and the municipalities with the highest attendance in the 2016 elections were analyzed. Data from the HDI were analyzed, and a multiple linear regression was performed using the variables provided by the TSE. The hypothesis is that the socioeconomic development of the municipality influences the rates of local electoral participation. Based on the results, the article outlines some reflections on the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on election attendance and absenteeism rates.