Why British Voter Turnout May Dive In 2010
The upcoming election has been predicted as one that is likely to have the lowest voter turnout in a long time.
The 21st century has been marred by common feeling of apathy and complacency. This is indeed evident when looking at voter turnouts since 2001, where 59% of electorate voted, while in 2005, only 61% went to the polls. Compare this to the 20th century, where over 70% of the electorate voted, and you can see the decline in people’s faith in the voting process.
There are many reasons that can explain why voters are not turning out. Among these is the fact that the British people have become accustomed to landslide Labour Party victories. The common feeling amongst voters is “why vote? My vote will not change the election, and no matter which party gets in, my equity release is still a mess.”
And who can blame them? After two lopsided Labour Party victories, the public feel a change is impossible.
Another reason for the electorate to avoid voting is that the general public sees very little difference between parties. This is indeed true, with most political parties more concerned with bipartisan politics than about the actual issues.
NatCen’s British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) found in 2005 that 44% of Britons believe that there is little to no difference between the Conservatives and the Labour Parties, compared to 12% who had this belief in 1992.
Apathy and complacency is at an all time high, as most citizens losing faith in the electoral process and with politicians in specific. Unlike previous generations, people today no longer feel socially obligated to vote, which in turn accounts for low voter turnouts.
Loyalty is another issue. There seems to be a lack of party loyalty seen in previous generations. While in the past, voters would participate due to their loyalty and duty to their political party. This notion is outdated, which affects when and why people vote.
2010 will undoubtedly see a lower turnout of electorate, possibly lower than the statistics of the past ten years, and there is not much that can be done to encourage voters. So for future elections it will be necessary for politicians to get acquainted with the people and do what they were elected to do.
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