> 
> [Over the last 40 years, voter turnout has been steadily declining in the established democracies. This trend has been significant in the United States, Western Europe, Japan and Latin America. It has been a matter of concern and controversy among political scientists for several decades. During this same period, other forms of political participation have also declined, such as voluntary participation in political parties and the attendance of observers at town meetings.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout#Trends_of_decreasing_turnout)
> 
> 
> 

Have there been any successful approaches in western democracies to increase the voter turnout?