More Romanians believe voting should be mandatory, survey reveals

According to a new survey carried out by INSCOP for News.ro, over 60% of Romanians agree with mandatory voting, representing an increase of almost 20% compared to ten years ago. They believe that a greater turnout can change things for the better.

A total of 62.2% of respondents (compared to 44.6% in 2014) agree with mandatory voting because, if more people come to vote, things can improve. On the opposite end, 35.6% are against compulsory voting because they think the current political class cannot change things for the better. The figure declined from 41.7% in 2024.

The share of non-responses is 2.2% (compared to 13.6% in 2014).

PSD-PNL voters, young people under 30, those with primary or secondary education, inactive but potentially active citizens, and rural residents especially agree with mandatory voting.

“The democratic deficit fueled by low voter turnout rates has produced changes in the attitude of Romanians towards the hypothesis of introducing compulsory voting. If 10 years ago, less than half of Romanians (45%) agreed with mandatory voting, today almost two-thirds of the population (62%) support the introduction of compulsory voting in the idea that if more people come to vote, they can change things for the better. It is a significant increase that reflects a greater interest in democratic processes, as well as an understanding of the fact that without a high turnout, the legitimacy of leaders and progress in society are impossible,” said Remus Ştefureac, director of INSCOP Research.

INSCOP Research carried out the opinion poll for News.ro between April 12 and 20 through the CATI method (telephone interviews). A total of 1,100 people aged 18 and over have participated in the survey.

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