Low turnout in elections is bad for democracy. If we want more people to vote, why not make polling day more of a party? Asks John Oxley
It’s polling day in London, and chances are that you’re not going to vote. Well, admittedly, as a reader of opinion columns you are probably among the more democratically engaged – but across the capital, less than half of those eligible will cast a ballot for mayor. Since the post was established in 2000, turnout in the poll has never been more than 45 per cent. For the country’s biggest directly elected position, that’s pretty disappointing.
It is not, however, unexpected. Electoral turnout in Britain has been on the wane for decades. General Election turnout peaked in 1951 and has been downhill from then. When the election finally comes, two thirds of people turning out would be a good showing. Local contests perform even worse, with barely a third of people bothering to cast their ballot.
This lack of electoral enthusiasm is worsening, too. It’s a truism that old people are more likely to vote but engagement is dropping with every generation. Not only do today’s pensioners turnout more reliably, but at every stage of life they voted more enthusiastically than equivalent groups today. You might be more likely to vote as you get older, but you’ll never be as likely to vote as if you were born in 1950.
This matters. Democracy is determined, famously, by those who turn-up. In a cynical world, there’s little advantage in doing stuff for those who never make it to the polling station. It’s no wonder we have a political system skewed towards the relatively old and well-off, when they are the surest to vote. Equally, falling turnout points towards a greater disengagement from democratic and civic society. It both fuels cynicism and is fuelled by it, worsening our political climate.
So far, attempts to buck the trend have failed. Increasing postal votes has met with mixed success. It has made it easier for some to vote, but the organisation needed mostly appeals to those who were going to do it anyway. At the same time, it has raised serious questions about the integrity of ballots and attempts at undue influence. Moves like online voting have been tried in other countries, but again there are risks around security. Big changes to our voting system are hard and contentious but perhaps we could start by making voting a bit more fun.
Casting your vote should be part of a civic celebration, not a chore in a drafty school gym or drab Portakabin. In London we have loads of beautiful buildings the public rarely sees inside, why not open them up as polling places to give democracy a little extra charm? The success of Open House weekends shows the demand is there and it could help give some pizzazz to polling day for those who’d normally stay at home.
We could learn from the Australians – not in having compulsory voting but in handing out hot dogs to those waiting to vote. The so-called “democracy sausage” has become an intrinsic and popular part of Aussie voting culture. In London each borough and ward could showcase its community and heritage by sharing local food with voters; “Election eels” in east London, perhaps, or “ballot biryani” in Southall. This could be combined with cultural events and music to lift the atmosphere. Given the enthusiasm people had for vaccination stickers, we might also copying America’s “I’ve voted” badges.
Getting turnout and political engagement up is a tricky task. It’s also an important one if we want to keep our civic organs functioning and accountable. Fixing it will be a cross-political challenge, involving politicians and administrators. There are worse ways to kick it off though than making polling a bit more of a party.
John Oxley is a political commentator and associate fellow at Bright Blue