AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF DEMOCRACY AND VOTER PSYCHOLOGY

Özet

This article examines constitutional regulations regarding the postponement of elections in light of their historical development, assessing the inadequacy of the current framework, which is limited to war, in addressing today's multidimensional risks such as natural disasters and epidemics, as well as the effects of social traumas on voter psychology and democratic participation. Democracy is a fundamental form of government that enables public participation in governance, and regular elections are an indispensable element of the legitimacy of democratic systems. However, extraordinary circumstances such as war, natural disasters, and epidemics can prevent elections from being held on time. In parallel, the article addresses how social traumas transform voter psychology. It has been observed that mass crises, such as earthquakes, increase individuals' perception of threat, heighten their search for security, and shift their

political preferences toward a more fragile and emotional stance. This situation can make it difficult for the will of the people to manifest itself healthily, thereby making the quality of democratic representation debatable. In this context, it can be argued that the postponement of elections is not only a technical process but also a mechanism of legitimacy operating within a specific social and psychological context. The study examines provisions regarding the postponement of elections in constitutional arrangements spanning from 1876 to 1982. The findings show that there were no explicit provisions on this matter in the 1921 and 1924 constitutions; in the 1876, 1961, and 1982 constitutions, the power to postpone elections was limited to cases of war. The exclusion of other extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters and epidemics, reveals that the current constitutional framework is inadequate to meet today's conditions. Therefore, the regulations need to be updated in a manner that respects democratic legitimacy and human rights.

Keywords: Democracy, Elections, Social Trauma, Voter Psychology, Postponement of Elections.