The data collected clearly show that attitudes of the Czech public towards voting are deeply ambivalent. Those polled almost universally agree that participation in elections is a personal matter (88%) and that the possibility to vote is a right that must be exercised (83%) – in both instances, roughly a tenth of respondents disagreed with the statements. Slightly less consensus exists as to the statements that voting is not a duty but is necessary for society (72%), and that participation in elections is a civic duty (68%).
Over a half of respondents expressed their sceptical stand on elections by agreeing with the opinion that elections are pointless for politicians ‘will do whatever they please’ (58%) and that election results do not matter because ‘nothing will change for ordinary people’ (56%). In contrast, 52% of those surveyed are persuaded that elections enable them to participate in the administration of public affairs. Exactly a half of respondents identified with the opinion that their vote will make no change whatsoever. It does not come as a surprise that the opinion that participation in elections is useless ranked last, held by 18% of respondents.
