The Phenomenon of Voter Apathy and Its Impact on the Electoral System in Libya

Abstract

Elections are a process that allows citizens to choose who represents them in government, as the will of the people is expressed through secret ballot, which guarantees the rights of citizens to choose and nominate their representatives in accordance with the applicable legal procedures; Elections are considered the basis of democracy and help achieve justice and equality among all members of society, and the electoral system considers that national participation in choosing qualified candidates is one of the crucial tasks that draws a map and features of the road to the future of peoples to build their homelands. The electoral system works to translate the votes cast in elections into the number of seats won by the participating candidates. Humanity has struggled and struggled for a long time to obtain the right to vote to choose who represents citizens, whether in parliament or local municipal councils, or in choosing who governs them; elections through voting were the bridge through which the people's authority is transferred to those who represent them in exercising this authority. It is a task that has its danger and utmost importance and forms the backbone of any true democratic system, and without elections, we cannot talk about democracy, freedom, or the transfer of power. The phenomenon of abstention that most countries suffer from is a negative phenomenon that can be called unintentional collusion. The question also arises about what the motives and reasons behind this phenomenon that are has spread in Libyan society and what are the solutions and mechanisms to address electoral abstention.