Why People do and do not vote (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

What is apathy?

• When people who are eligible do not take part in the political process, they are not interested and do not bother to vote even at general elections

• They are not active citizens and are often totally disinterested in anything to do with political activity

  • This can happen because people feel their vote does not matter, they do not trust politicians or they do not understand the issues

Who is more likely to be apathetic?

• Young people are less likely to vote than older people

  • Turnout is lowest among 18–24 year olds

• People from poorer areas are less likely to vote

• Those who feel ignored by politicians are more likely to disengage

Why voter apathy is a problem

• Low turnout means governments may not represent everyone’s views

• Decisions may favour groups who vote more often, such as older or wealthier voters

• It can weaken democracy if large numbers of people do not take part

Voter turnout

• Turnout is a measure of those who do vote against the total who could have voted

• Politicians are concerned about declining voter numbers at elections

  • More people vote in general elections than local elections

Voter turnout in different UK elections

Why turnout varies

Election spending

• The amount of money spent by political parties varies between local and general elections

  • In the 2019 UK general election:

    • Political parties spent over £40 million in total across the UK

    • The Conservative Party spent around £16–17 million

    • The Labour Party spent around £9–10 million

  • Spending is higher because

    • Campaigns are nationwide

    • Parties use television, social media, national advertising and large campaign teams

  • There are strict legal spending limits

    • For example, parties are limited to around £30,000 per constituency, plus national campaign limits

Media coverage

• Media coverage is intense during a general election but there is little coverage of local elections

  • UK general elections receive very high levels of media coverage

    • National TV channels, newspapers, radio, and online platforms cover elections daily for several weeks

  • Broadcasters are required to provide balanced and extensive coverage

    • The BBC, ITV, and Sky News run special election programmes, leaders’ debates and live results

  • During the 2019 general election:

    • There were multiple televised leaders’ debates

    • National newspapers ran daily front-page election stories

Other reasons for turnout variations

• People believe their vote matters more in a general election than in a local election

• Voters may feel that their constituency is a safe seat for a particular party

  • The feeling that their 'vote won’t make a difference’ deters people from voting

• In referendums, where everyone's vote counts, turnout tends to be high

  • The highest turnout recently was in the 2016 referendum on the UK remaining in the EU, when 72% of the electorate voted

  • The referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014 achieved a turnout of 84.6%

Ways to increase voter turnout

• Campaigners have suggested a range of ideas to make voting easier, more accessible and more meaningful for citizens

Increasing the hours and days available to vote

• Allowing people to vote over more days or for longer hours would help those who work long or irregular shifts

• Some countries allow early voting over several days, which has increased turnout

Opening polling stations in more convenient places

• Placing polling stations in supermarkets, shopping centres or transport hubs could make voting easier

• This would reduce the excuse that voting is inconvenient or hard to access

All-postal vote elections

• Making elections postal only would allow everyone to vote from home

  • Postal voting has been shown to increase turnout, especially among elderly and disabled voters

• However, there are concerns about security and secrecy

Automatic registration to vote

• Automatically registering eligible citizens would reduce the number of people missing elections because they are not on the electoral register

• This would particularly help young people and renters, who move address more often

Digital or online voting

• Online voting could appeal to younger voters who are used to digital services

• However, concerns remain about cybersecurity, fraud and trust in results

Lowering the voting age

• Lowering the voting age to 16 is suggested as a way to build voting habits early

  • While it is not currently in place for UK general elections, it is used in Scotland and Wales, where youth engagement has increased

Compulsory voting

• Compulsory voting, as used in Australia, requires citizens to vote or face a fine

  • This leads to very high turnout, often above 90%, but critics argue it removes freedom of choice

Changing the voting system

• Changing from First Past the Post to a more proportional system could make voters feel their vote matters

• Supporters argue this would reduce wasted votes and increase engagement