2.2.3.1.2 Electoral systems and traditions

In general, political traditions are important causal variables that help explain electoral behavior. In most countries across Europe, voter turnout-the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote-is rather high (above fifty percent) during general elections. Still, the sheer number of actions necessary for one to become an At-Large Member was expected by some to thin out less-interested participants, even to the extent of bringing about a high correlation between registration and actual voting. This does not seem to have been the case.

A number of factors may have contributed to the low turnout. Procedures used in the At-Large Elections, such as ballots, pre-registrations, member-nominations, are not widely used across Europe, where traditions of voter registration and of primary elections, used elsewhere, are unfamiliar. However, whether this had a major impact on electoral behavior within Europe remains unclear.

The single most important factor in decreasing participation might have been the unfamiliarity of the PINs distributed via surface mail. It is likely that many who did not activate their PIN either were simply unaware of the need to do so, didn't receive their PIN, or missed the activation deadline. Other participants have cited confusion between the membership number, the password (which was received via e-mail), and the PIN.

Finally, the unavailability of registration servers during daytime, when many potential voters accessed the site from their workplace, may have further depressed registration and activation rates.

A credible argument can be made that the combination of technical errors, delays, human errors, complexity and confusion reduced the number of registered, activated and eventually voting members. Still, such technical difficulties are ultimately a minor problem that can be overcome. They do not pose the same kind of problem as the more insidious causes of low registration discussed above.

Even though online elections are still in the experimental stage in Europe, they are becoming more common. For example, the "Forschungsgruppe Internetwahlen" based at the University of Osnabrück conducted the 1999 "Sozialwahlen". In this election, all German citizens were eligible to participate, though only 2% of Germans did so. Other European countries developing online voting systems have encountered similar obstacles. Nevertheless, future online elections for the European Parliament are being planned, and several research projects are under way.

2.2.3.1.1 Internet use

2.2.3.2.1.1 Mobilization through Internet user communities