Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election (eligible voters can change in every country, and should not be confused with the total adult population. For example some countries discriminate based on sex, race, and/or religion). After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s. In general, low turnout may be due to disenchantment, indifference, or contentment.