Some Considerations on the Relationship between Elections, Voting and Democracy

Abstract

The themes of elections and democracy are on the order of the day. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this debate, from the historian’s point of view, reflecting on the following question: when do elections and voting challenge democracy? By analyzing the political instruments that lead to representation, aiming at building an understanding of the challenges of Brazilian democracy, I argue that elections and voting challenge democracy when the degree of voter adherence to the democratic regime fluctuates and the values of a democratic political culture are not observable, and when the credibility of institutions is low and political parties are fragile.