Different forms of political participation: Electoral participation

Different forms of political participation: Electoral participation

1. Electoral participation

   • Electorate - those who are both eligible and registered to vote in a given election
   • Franchise - the right to vote
   • In 1831, on 5% of over 18's were able to vote. By 1969, 99% of adults had the vote

2. You cannot vote in elections in the Westminster Parliament if you are:

   • A EU citizen from an EU country other than Britain or Ireland
   • A member of the House of Lords
   • A convicted criminal who is in prison
   • Convicted of a corrupt or illegal electoral practice
   • Suffering from severe mental illness

3. Turnout and abstinence

   • Low turnout is problem because it brings into question the governments legitimacy and the strength of its electoral mandate
   • When considering the turnout one should remember three points:
     • The national turnout figure masks massive regional variations. Such variation may result either from the saliency of local issues or from the extent to which voters in different areas believe that their vote is likely to make any real difference to the outcome of the contest.This variation is referred to as differential turnout
       • A number of factors may account for differential turnout
         • Whether people think their vote will count
         • Local or national issues and controversies
         • Media attenetion
         • How marginal an individual seat or election is (is there a chance to make a real change?)
     • Turnout varies considerably according to variables such as age, gender, social class and etthnicist.
     • Turnout varies significantly between different types of elections