The article addresses the issue of absence of voters – electoral absenteeism basing on the materials of the 2000–2012 Presidential campaign. Having analyzed sociological studies the authors conclude that the main types of absentees in the presidential elections in Russia are passive citizens, apolitical and alienated from politics. The authors forecast the level of absenteeism in the 2018 presidential election to be not higher than 40 %in case there will not be any social cataclysms. Some ways to solve the problem of non-participation in the elections are proposed. Among them: enhancing the level of political culture of citizens since school age, and the introducing an electronic voting for young people.

absenteeism, electoral absenteeism, turnout, the Russian presidential election campaign, electoral process, electoral behavior

1. A kak Vy dumaete, V. Putin pobedit uzhe v pervom ture, nabrav bolee 50 %golosov izbiratelei, prishedshikh na vybory, ili, chtoby izbrat’ Prezidenta, pridetsya organizovat’ vtoroi tur? [Elektronnyi resurs] [And How do you Think Vladimir Putin will Win already in the First Round, Gaining More than 50 %of Votes which were Given by the Voters Who Just Came to the Polls, or Who Came to Elect a President. Will the Second Round have to be Organized? [Electronic Source].] URL: http://wciom.ru/zh/print_q.php?s_id=834&q_id=58411&date=09.02.2012 (request date: 01.10.2016)
2. Abramov A.V., Rybina M.V., Davydova N.P. Absenteisty kak politicheskaya strata sovremennogo rossiiskogo obshchestva [The Absentees as a Political Strata of Modern Russian Society] // Izvestiya Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta «MAMI» [Izvestiya MGTU “MAMI”], 2013, T. 6, no. 1(15), pp. 31–36.
3. Alekseev R.A. Politiko-pravovaya transformatsiya izbiratel’noi sistemy Rossii v period s 1993 po 2013 gody [Legal-Political Transformation of the Electoral System of Russia in the Period from 1993 to 2013] // Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo oblastnogo universiteta. Seriya: Istoriya i politicheskie nauki [Bulletin of Moscow Region State University. Series: History and Political Science], 2013, no. 5, Т. 2, pp. 52–61.
4. Arininina K.I. Absenteizm v politike: prichiny i posledstviya [Absenteeism Policy: Causes and Consequences] // Uchenye zapiski Kazanskogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki [Proceedings of Kazan University], 2014, T. 156, no. 1. pp. 214–220.
5. Baskakova Yu.M. My etu vlast’ ne vybirali: absenteizm na vyborakh 2011–2012 goda [We did not Elect this Power: Absenteeism at the Elections of 2011–2012] // Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny [Monitoring Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes], 2012, no. 5, pp. 5–15.
6. Belyaev A.YU., Tarasov E.N. Tendentsiya absenteizma v sovremennom rossiiskom obshchestve [The Trend of Absenteeism in the Modern Russian Society] // Vlast’ [Governance], 2013, no. 5, pp. 43–45.
7. Vybory, referendumy i inye formy narodnogo voleizyavleniya [Elections, Referendums and other Forms of People’s Will Expression] // Tsentral’naya izbiratel’naya komissiya Rossiiskoi Federatsii: [ofitsial’nyi sait] [The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation [official website]]. URL: http://www.izbirkom.ru/index.html (request date: 09.07.2016)
8. Golosovanie na vyborakh: pravo ili obyazannost’? [Elektronnyi resurs] [Voting in Elections: Right or Obligation? [Electronic Source]] // VTSIOM: Press vypusk № 3234 ot 01.11.2016 [VTSIOM, Press release No. 3234 dated 01.11.2016.]. URL: https://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=115931 (request date: 06.11.2016)
9. Grishin N.V. Izbiratel’naya sistema kak institut artikulyatsii politicheskikh interesov obshchestva [Electoral System as an Institution of Articulation of Political Interests of Society] // Kaspiiskii region: politika, ekonomika, kul’tura [Caspian Region: Politics, Economy, Culture.], 2013. no. 2, pp. 42–47.
10. Doverie k vyboram Prezidenta [Elektronnyi resurs] [The Credibility of the Elections of the President [Electronic Source]] // VTSIOM. Press-vypusk № 1967 ot 01.03.2012 [VTSIOM. Press release No. 1967 dated 01.03.2012]. URL: http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=112564 (request date: 29.10.2016)
11. Esli by v blizhaishee voskresen’e sostoyalis’ vybory Prezidenta Rossii, kakoe iz sleduyushchikh utverzhdenii naibolee tochno otrazhaet vashe namerenie golosovat’ na etikh vyborakh? [Elektronnyi resurs] // https [If Next Sunday Presidential Elections were Held in Russia, which of the Following Statements Most Accurately Reflects your Intention to Vote in these Elections? [Electronic Source]. URL: https://wciom.ru/zh/print_q.php?s_id=382&q_id=31047&date=30.07.1999 (request date 06.11.2016)
12. Zakharkin R.A. Molodezhnyi absenteizm v Rossii [Youth Absenteeism in Russia] // Gumanitarnye issledovaniya v Vostochnoi Sibiri i na Dal’nem Vostoke [Humanities Studies in Eastern Siberia and the Far East], 2010, no. 4, pp. 111–114.
13. Kovrov V.F. Otrazhenie problemy elektoral’nogo absenteizma v trudakh otechestvennykh uchenykh [Elektronnyi resurs] [The Reflection of the Problem of Electoral Absenteeism in the Works of Russian Scientists [Electronic Source]] // Nauchnyi al’manakh. 2015. № 9(11). S. 1372–1376. [The Scientific Almanac, 2015, no. 9(11), pp. 1372–1376]. URL: http://ucom.ru/doc/na.2015.09.1372.pdf (request date 01.10.2016).
14. Levada Yu. Obshchestvennoe mnenie na perelome epokh: ozhidaniya, opaseniya, ramki. K sotsiologii politicheskogo perekhoda [Public Opinion at the Turn of Epochs: Expectations, Fears, Frame. The Sociology of the Political Transition] // Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny [Monitoring Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes], 2000, no. 3, pp. 7–18.
15. Levada Yu. Svoboda ot vybora? Postelektoral’nye razmyshleniya [Freedom from Choice? Post-Election Reflections] // Vestnik obshchestvennogo mneniya: Dannye. Analiz. Diskussii [Herald Opinion: Data. Analysis. Discussion], 2004, no. 2, pp. 8–17.
16. Levada Yu.A. Yanvar’ 2000 goda. Mneniya i nastroeniya [January 2000. The Opinions and Sentiments] // NG-Stsenarii [NG-Scenarios], 2000, February 09, no. 2.
17. Mal’kevich A.A. Povyshenie elektoral’noi aktivnosti molodezhi sovremennoi Rossii: problemy i puti resheniya [The Increase of Electoral Activity of Youth in Modern Russia: Problems and Solutions] // Al’manakh sovremennoi nauki i obrazovaniya [Almanac of Modern Science and Education], 2007, no. 7–2, pp. 108–112.
18. Pokataeva E. Demokratiya v stile khai-tek [Elektronnyi resurs] [Democracy in Hi-Tech Style [Electronic Source]] // Itogi [Results], 2009. no. 12.URL: http://www.itogi.ru/russia/2009/12/138355.html (request date: 15.10.2015)
19. Politicheskaya sotsiologiya: uchebnik dlya vuzov / pod red. chl.-korr. RAN Zh.T. Toshchenko [Political Sociology: Textbook for Universities / under the Editorship of Corresponding Member of RAS Zh.T. Toshchenko]. M., YUNITI-DANA, 2002. 495 p.
20. Prezidentskie vybory–2008: interes k nim, podderzhka otdel’nykh kandidatov, namerenie priiti i progolosovat’ [Elektronnyi resurs] [Presidential Election of 2008: Interest to them, Support for Individual Candidates, the Intention to Come and Vote [Electronic Source]] // VTSIOM: Press-vypusk № 854 [VCIOM: Press-issue no. 854.]. URL: http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=9498 (request date: 05.09.2016)
21. Rosenko M.N. Absenteizm kak faktor vliyaniya na legitimnost’ organov gosudarstvennoi vlasti [Absenteeism as a Factor of Influence on the Legitimacy of Public Authorities] // Problemy i perspektivy sotsial’no-ekonomicheskogo reformirovaniya sovremennogo gosudarstva i obshchestva: materialy XVIII mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii, g. Moskva, 14–15 aprelya 2015 g. [Problems and Prospects of Socio-Economic Reformation of the Modern State and Society: Materials of XVIII International Scientific-Practical Conference, Moscow, April 14–15, 2015]. M., Institut strategicheskikh issledovanii; Pero, 2015. pp. 200–215.
22. Rossiiskoe obshchestvo nakanune prezidentskikh vyborov: analiticheskii doklad [Elektronnyi resurs] [Russian Society on the Eve of Presidential Elections: Analytical Report [Electronic Source]]. URL: http://www.zircon.ru/upload/iblock/b9d/Rossijskoe_obshhestvo_nakanune_prezidentskih_vyborov.pdf (request date: 05.09.2016)
23. Rossiya. Prezidentskie vybory 1991 g. [Elektronnyi resurs] [Russia. The Presidential Elections of 1991 [Electronic Source]] // Elektoral’naya geografiya 2.0: [sait] [Electoral geography 2.0: [website]]. URL: https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/ru/countries/r/russia/russia-presidential-election-1991.html (request date: 05.09.2016)
24. Rybina M.V., Fedorchenko S.N. Elektoral’nye tekhnologii politicheskogo menedzhmenta [The Electoral Technologies of Political Management] // Izvestiya Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta «MAMI» [Izvestiya MGTU “MAMI”], 2012, T. 3, no. 2, pp. 267–274.
25. Sidorkina E.S. Fenomen absenteizma na parlamentskikh i prezidentskikh vyborakh v Rossii (1995–2008 gg.): avtoref. diss. … kand. polit. n. [The Phenomenon of Absenteeism in Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in Russia (1995–2008): Abstract of Thesis ...PhD in Political Sciences]. M., 2008. 24 p.
26. Federal’nyi zakon RF ot 10.01.2003 № 19-FZ «O vyborakh Prezidenta Rossiiskoi Federatsii» (v red. ot 13.07.2015 № 231-FZ) [Federal Law dated back to 10.01.2003 no. 19-FZ “On Presidential Elections in the Russian Federation” (as amended on 13.07.2015 no. 231-FZ)] // Sobranie Zakonodatel’stva RF [Legislation Assembly RF], 2003, no. 2, January 13.
27. Federal’nyi zakon ot 31.12.1999 № 228-FZ «O vyborakh Prezidenta Rossiiskoi Federatsii» (v red. ot 21.03.2002 № 31-FZ) [utratil silu] [Federal Law dated back to 31.12.1999 no. 228-FZ “On Presidential Elections in the Russian Federation” (in Edition dating back to 21.03.2002 no. 31-FZ) [repealed]] // Rossiiskaya gazeta [Russian Newspaper], 2000, January 05.
28. Sheregi F. Sotsiologiya politiki: prikladnye issledovaniya [Sociology of Politics: Applied Research]. M., Tsentr sotsial’nogo prognozirovaniya, 2003. 668 p.
29. Shishorina A. Analiz rezul’tatov prezidentskikh vyborov 4 marta 2012 goda v Rossii [Elektronnyi resurs] [Analysis of the Results of the Presidential Elections, March 4, 2012 in Russia [Electronic Source]] // Laboratoriya regional’nykh politicheskikh issledovanii NIU VSHE [Laboratory for Regional Political Studies of National Research University Higher School of Economics]. URL: http://www.regional-science.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Россия_2012_Шишорина.pdf (request date: 05.11.2016).