The principle of electoral periodicity and the problem of absenteeism: in search of measures to enhance the legitimacy of representative government

Problem. The upcoming 2026 electoral cycle, as well as crisis phenomena in the representative government system and a sustained decline in electoral activity, necessitate addressing the issue of the legitimacy of elections. Problem. The abolition of the voter turnout threshold in elections for representative bodies of power was a reaction to the electorate’s declining trust in the electoral institution. Although turnout in presidential elections and elections for heads of most regions remains consistently high, the decline in trust in the institution of representative bodies of power is evidenced by persistently low voter turnout, which signals a crisis in the representative system. Aim. To analyse the compliance of the principle of periodic elections with contemporary challenges and to substantiate measures aimed at reducing absenteeism. Methods. In preparing the paper, the authors used formal-legal, comparative-legal methods, and the method of document analysis. The study examined the norms of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, foreign legislation (USA, Great Britain, Germany, and France), reports of the Venice Commission, as well as data on voter turnout and statistics from recent electoral campaigns. Results. As measures to increase the legitimacy of elections, it is proposed to restore the “against all” option on election ballots, reinstate the minimum 20 % voter turnout requirement for elections to representative bodies to be considered valid, and reduce the electoral threshold to 3 %. Conclusions. Based on an analysis of international standards and Russian practice, it is concluded that shifting election dates is unacceptable, and the shift in election dates that occurred in the past was an exceptional one-time act.