Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

that they found voting to be the most important vehicle for channeling political
participation in newly democratizing Tunisia (NDI, 2011). After voting, they identified
participating through social media and public forums as the next best method for political
participation. They also confirmed an eagerness to participate in the NCA election that
was planned for July 2011. 28 Following the departure of Ben Ali, youth were highly
optimistic towards the prospects democratization held for the country and were willing to
play their part to continue the country’s transition.
But when it came time for Tunisians to register to vote many youth did not feel
compelled to go to the registration centers. After three weeks of low voter registration
turnout, allegedly due to confusion around the registration process, the High Independent
Authority for Election (ISIE) increased the registration period by two weeks. In the end,
only 4.4 million, or 69%, of Tunisians eligible to vote, registered (IFES, 2011). Though
at first glance this number presumes that a substantial size of the population registered to
vote, it fails to capture the youth’s absence in the registration process. Even after ISIE
extended the registration period, only 17% of Tunisians age 18 to 35 registered to vote
(McCurdy, 2011). Regardless of the extended registration period, voter education
programs, and campaigns to boost youth participation, the Tunisian political environment
at the time still failed to convince many youth to register. 29 The NDI study and Daphne
McCurdy’s research highlight a crucial gap between the youth’s initial willingness to
work within the system around the time of the protests and their apathy towards voting in
the NCA election. If voting in the NCA election was so important to them immediately
after the regime change, then what kept them from registering for the election in August?
28 At the time of the focus group, elections were still planned for July. Because of difficulties in
logistics, the transitional government agreed to postpone the process to October 2011.
29 To be sure, it is unclear how many youth finally voted in the NCA elections. In the late stages of
the electoral process ISIE was determined to improve turnout, which made it possible for any
Tunisian with a national identity card to vote on election day. The final statistics on number of
registered voters and voter turnout have yet to be made public, yet there is general consensus
amongst NGOs and the media that youth turnout in the elections was also very low.
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