REFERENDUMS AND E-VOTING IN TURKEY

Abstract

Today, we can define referendum as the reflection of majority of the public’s choices’ to polls and the change of applications from a legal text to a fulfillment of public’s demand. Referendum is not only to vote the legal text but also to exhibit the public’s opinion. The referendums which the participation rate is very low cannot be considered as they have met the desired results. Thus, using the modern technology, an increase in participating referendums can be provided. If the public could not exhibit its own opinions for some reasons, then these reasons should be investigated. Especially as the latest referendum has fall upon both the end of summer holiday and the religious festival, many voters were not able to go to polls. The rate of voters, who were in resorts during the election period, decreases if the elections are made during summer period. Changes in constitutions are all the public’s concern and they are the country’s assurance. Academics on political science, state that the real constitution of a country, is the “election system”. As politicians have decided to get the public opinion in such important issues, then, participation of public to referendum should be boosted. E-voting should be developed for the referendum process and the opinion of the majority of public should be obtained this way. The main point of the study is described as the voters who could not vote as they were in their summer houses or resorts. By utilizing information technologies, the voter files can be confirmed more efficiently, and they could be able to move to the resorts to increase the participation by e-voting. In this sense a bivious study is needed. Changing the voter files with automation system and having a steady, reliable and participating referendum pattern by e-voting, is expected from the Supreme Election Committee. In the study, the rates of the voters will be analyzed who were their summer houses in Kuşadası during the September, 12, 2010 referendum