19 Oct 2005
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New research published today about voter turnout at this years UK parliamentary general election suggests that younger adults may be acquiring the habit of non-voting, raising the long-term possibility of a generation of non-voters. The report also shows that while postal voting was the voting method of choice for many people, 46% considered it to be unsafe, as did a fifth of those who actually voted by post.
The Electoral Commission believes that the rise in the habit of non-voting, reported in Election 2005: turnout, How many, who and why?, presents an urgent problem for all those interested in democratic involvement. The findings also confirm among other things the need to modernise the way we register to vote to tackle the urgent problem of security for postal voting so that voters can participate with confidence [1].
Other findings include:
- The turnout of 61.4% was the third lowest since 1847, but this cannot be simply put down to voter apathy.
- Research for the Commission found that short-term factors offer a better explanation of why turnout in 2005 did not reach the previous pre-2001 norm: difficulty in deciding who to vote for; people perceiving that voting would make no difference to the outcome; the four-week campaign being seen by people as negative and stage-managed.
- Younger age groups were much less likely to turn out to vote and there is a neighbourhood effect with turnout lower in urban areas of the country and among more socially deprived groups.
Non-voting habit
Drawing on analysis by the British Election Study, the research shows a continuation of a steady rise, apparent since the 1960s, in the levels of young people who did not vote. The incidence of non-voting seems to have been carried forward from younger to older age groups, particularly since 1992, heralding a possible Generation No-X of non-voters.
Postal voting
Take-up of postal voting, at 12.1% of the UK electorate, was three times higher than at the 2001 general election, and for electors with previous experience of voting by post this figure was even higher. In the North East, where there have been several trials of postal voting, take-up of postal voting increased by 13.6 percentage points on 2001.
Sam Younger, Chairman of The Electoral Commission, said: 'Our research highlights the possibility that after two historically low turnout general elections some people are now out of the habit of voting, with a generation apparently carrying forward their non-voting as they get older. If the first few elections adults experience are crucial in shaping their political outlook including the value of voting, then all of us with an interest in the health of our democracy need to redouble our efforts to reverse this trend before the next general election, or we risk losing that generation for good.'
Mr Younger added: 'Striking the right balance between the security of the voting system and the ease with which people can vote is very important. While postal voting seems to have helped edge up turnout, for the first time our research found more people rating it as unsafe than safe. We believe that a system of individual registration would strike the right balance and should be introduced as soon as possible so that the register used at the next general election is secure, accurate and commands public confidence.'
A full breakdown of data, including election results, turnout and take-up of postal voting by constituency, is also available on the Commissions website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk
/ends
For further information contact:
Maxine Hoeksma on 020 7271 0531 or Gemma Crosland on 020 7271 0527
Out of office hours 07789 920414
Email press@electoralcommission.org.uk
Notes to editors:
2. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our mission is to foster public confidence and participation by promoting integrity, involvement and effectiveness in the democratic process.
3. Election 2005: turnout is the second in the Commissions series of reports on the election and was published in October 2005. Copies can be obtained from the Electoral Commissions website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk/.
4. The measurements of public attitudes towards postal voting are derived from a survey conducted by MORI on behalf of the Commission involving telephone interviews with 1,009 British adults aged 18+ between 29 April and 1 May 2005 and also the 2005 British Election Study managed by a team at the University of Essex.
