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On December 3, Venezuelans will vote in a referendum on the annexation of Esequibo to the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. This blog post argues that the referendum has implications for both domestic constitutional law and international law. Since the referendum cannot have any practical effect under international law, it also violates the voters' constitutional right to participate freely in public affairs. By prioritizing solely the interests of Venezuela over the sovereignty of Guyana, the referendum might be contrary to the principles of peaceful dispute settlement and the prohibition of force, as stipulated in the United Nations Charter. It could also challenge the established legal doctrine of state consent and infringe upon the principle of prioritizing international obligations over national law.

Can Ukraine hold elections while it is in the midst of a full-scale invasion by Russia? This question has recently received international attention, including comments from US Senator Lindsey Graham advocating for elections during the war. However, holding elections during the current state of war faces not only factual but also legal obstacles. Genuine democratic elections cannot be conducted under fire from Russian troops.

Considers the concept of acceptance (ie, consent to political decisions) in the context of the sociological debate on sociosubjective political legitimacy. Acceptance is discussed as both a precondition for & a constraint on legitimacy in modern societies characterized by an increasingly wide spectrum of conceptions of justice & morality & a growing propensity for public protest. Under these circumstances, politicians & other decisionmakers have moved from legitimation via existence/tradition to legitimation via rational-procedural means to legitimation via acceptance. They use strategies of persuasion & justification, often in a trial-&-error manner & often targeted at the grassroots. This is discussed in terms of structural changes in the public sphere, & it is concluded that leading by "generating applause" runs the risks of substituting opinion polling for true democracy & reducing people to voting machines. Examples from the Federal Republic of Germany illustrate. Adapted from the source document.

'Zunehmende politische Apathie und Desinteresse hat auch zu sinkender Wahlbeteiligung geführt. Wahlrechtsreformen versuchen diesen Abwärtstrend zu mildern. Eine neue Wahlinfrastruktur wird insbesondere auf lokaler Ebene getestet, die zum Teil eine Laborfunktion besitzt. Online-Wahlen und andere Formen des Electronic voting sind dabei eher die High-Tech-Varianten. Neben diesen Instrumenten ist die Briefwahl erneut in den Vordergrund gerückt, die in bezug auf die Wahlrechtsgrundsätze wie Geheimhaltung und Gleichheit des Wählervotums ähnliche Probleme aufwirft. In einigen Ländern hat die Briefwahl eine lange Tradition als Alternative zur Präsenzwahl, andere haben erfolgreich universelle Briefwahlen getestet und andere setzen sie gar nicht oder nur auf bestimmte Gruppen begrenzt ein. Die nationalen Regelungen sowie Strategien werden aufgezeigt, wobei in den sechs ausgewählten Ländern einen hohe Pfadabhängigkeit deutlich wird, die auch die zukünftigen Entwicklungen prägen wird.' (Autorenreferat)

The author discusses the issue whether the internet & other electronic sources should be used for elections. Online-elections can make the electoral process not only less complex but also cheaper, thus the analysis faster & more reliable. The lower costs could, in turn, lead to a new impulse on direct-democracy-instruments. Comparing the USA, Great Britain, Germany & Switzerland the article provides information about national strategies, discourses & problems, & shows the different political & cultural settings. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.