No magic formula for improving voter turnout

Political decisions shape the lives of everyone, from how we are educated to where we live and how much support we get when things go wrong. And yet we have declining interest in party politics and the political system here in Scotland.

We have neither a range of candidates standing nor a range of people who vote. And voter turnout continues to decline.

Our politics is not a reflection of our society or of the wishes of our society. We have neither a range of candidates standing nor a range of people who vote. And voter turnout continues to decline. We are failing to engage our society in party politics, particularly those in our society who are typically least involved in formal society – the non-white, non-middle class and lower paid. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in terms of voter turnout the UK is ranked just 23rd out of 36 economically developed nations, and our turnout rate has been declining for the last 30 years. Not only that, but voter turnout in terms of income sees the top 20% of the UK population at about 73%, whereas the participation rate of the bottom 20% is approximately 50%. This difference is much higher than most other wealthy nations, suggesting that as a country we’re not very good at engaging politically with the worst-off. It doesn’t have to be like this. The USA has levels of non-participation amongst the poorest similar to here, but since 2005, the organisation Nonprofit VOTE has been working with the third sector to increase voter turnout and engagement. Nonprofit VOTE recognises that many third sector organisations work with the very people who are the least represented and the most in need. The trust that these organisations have in people’s lives, the regular contact, and the often political issues that they as organisations are working on – all of these things mean they are well-placed to encourage people to register and turn out to vote. They have had considerable success, with voters contacted by non-profits before the last US election voting at a higher rate than the average for all registered voters, including people on low incomes, young people, and people from ethnic minorities. Back in the UK, engaging these potential voters will ensure that the voices of those seldom heard are listened to. There are also a heap of other benefits that improving turnout rates can bring: people who register and vote are more likely to talk to their neighbours, meet with local officials, and engage in other civic actions; areas with higher voting levels have higher levels of self-reported health, lower re-offending rates, and even lower unemployment; and increasing turnout may even encourage a greater range of candidates to better reflect the diversity of our country, changing the face of our politics for good. Countries that have high turnout are not magic countries that by accident have secured better democratic input, and we are not a nation of apolitical people who will never vote. We do not need to grow the disenfranchisement that so many of our citizens feel. We should look to reverse this trend.