One country, two electorates. The case of Costa Rica (1890-1950)

Abstract

The question that originated this article was a methodological one: how to characterize the national level, demographic, ethnic and cultural terms, an electorate of the past and, in turn, identify key changes experienced long term? the complexity of this issue is best appreciated when one considers that questions such as the above in the case and the voters of the late twentieth century are possible to account for the existence of a wide range of official statistics and unofficial, differentiated geographical coverage, but little or none of such materials to other times, especially before 1950, it is a first obstacle to overcome to try to approach, once, were regularly summoned to attend the polls.