Law Commons^™

Sins Of Omission: Abstention In Democratic Institutions, Grant M. Hayden

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Assumptions regarding the effect of an abstention guide the theory and practice of abstention across the full range of democratic decisionmaking. Sometimes, however, these assumptions are false, and may prevent voters from achieving their objectives. This Article examines the effect that abstention has under common voting procedures, dispelling many assumptions that voters make about the effect of an abstention.