People who drink absinthe have an absent appearance. They seem to be there, but in reality ... The Latin word "absentia" means precisely "absence".
A voter who does not want to exercise his constitutional right shows absenteeism. This means expressing political protest, so it’s not enough just not to come to the polling station, everything must be done in order to show the absence to the greatest possible number of fellow citizens. Otherwise, there is ordinary political apathy, and sometimes simple human laziness.
In the Soviet years, resolutely fought with demonstrative manifestations of discontent. By the end of election day, lists of those who did not come to the polling station at the place of residence were being prepared, then members of the electoral commission were sent to the indicated addresses, taking with them a portable sealed ballot box.
Having found a tenant, they politely asked a question about the reason for the failure to appear, and if she was respectful, they offered to vote right at home. Dissatisfied (usually the work of the housing community) was exhorted, promised to fix it (sometimes even then fulfilled the promise), and also asked to fill out a newsletter. The work was not easy, its quality was evaluated by the percentage of citizens who voted. To understand the reason for the failure to appear (absenteeism or just the tenant of such an apartment was too lazy to leave the house), to listen to angry tirades about the current roof, to settle conflict situations - all this was the lot of the election commission members.
But all this took place during the time of late socialism, nicknamed in the seventies "mature". In the Stalin years, there were ways to overcome absenteeism. This is, first and foremost, fear. People were afraid that they would be considered dissatisfied, they would think that they "did not like the Soviet regime." And in the difficult post-war period, called the “hunger strike of the 47th”, even pies sold at buffets at a symbolic price were an incentive to participate in the popular elections.
As a rule, mass absenteeism is a clear sign of public discontent with government policies, which is why totalitarian regimes are trying so hard to create the impression of popular support for their policies. According to official figures, at least 95% of voters in the USSR, North Korea, the PRC, and almost all other socialist countries came to the polls, they had fun, sang, danced, and, characteristically, they were all in favor. Newsreels recorded for history this triumph of the popular will.
The result of the struggle for unanimity was a universal understanding of the regrettable fact that one hundred percent turnout and absenteeism are almost identical concepts, and a unanimous presence is equal to complete absence.
But what about the countries with long democratic traditions? Everything here is also not very simple. True, absenteeism and its causes differ from the situation in the field of will of citizens of totalitarian states. Residents of the Italian Republic, if they do not show up for election, are subject to moral sanctions, fined in Mexico, and in Austria and Greece they can even be imprisoned for a month to a year, apparently depending on the degree of cynicism and neglect shown in relation to the election legislation.
Despite such tough measures, in countries with a democratic form of government, the appearance of half or more capable population is considered normal. Usually this figure ranges from 50 to 70%, reaching a maximum in especially critical cases when really crucial issues of the future social structure and the vector of further development are solved.
The reasons for absenteeism can lie both in the impersonality of candidates running for a particular post (when to choose none) and in the general attitude to the political system of the state, in addition, a certain percentage of voters are convinced political nihilists who do not vote in principle.