|
Why qualifying quorum is necessary part
of referendum
Yesterday
the Portuguese were given the chance to vote on the introduction of a more
liberal abortion regime. 59 percent were in favour and 44 percent of those
eligible to vote took part. This means that only about a quarter of all
possible voters were actually in favour of the measure. As one can assume
that those voters in favour had more motivation to participate in the
referendum there is an inherent bias in favour of adoption in most
referendum campaigns. In order to counteract this factor is is essential
that only those measures that are backed by a qualified majority of the
electorate get adopted. A quorum of 50 percent of the electorate and a
two-thirds majority in important issues appears reasonable.
|