Why is turnout in local elections so low?

My reply was to*gillybob*.Agree with youmaryeliza

It is the same here but with the Conservatives.There is no hope it will ever change and the Conservative candidates is the only one who bothers to go door knocking.No need at all but I suppose it shows some effort to meet the voters.

In my area a bucket of manure with a blue rosette would win and did in fact. But seriously,over the years we have become such a centralised society - las have fewer and fewer powers and less and less money. This overall trend has been evident for quite some time. I think there’s a real argument for pr in local elections ( ge as well) because even with a low turnout, we’d have a more accountable and representative council - and it might even encourage people to vote - oh wait a minute......

It's because people are mostly completely uninterested in how their local area is run.

They were probably from my town kitty . It’s such a shame that with no active opposition the ruling party need do nothing at all. They shove our council taxes up to the highest levels allowed, they vote themselves huge expense rises while cutting services and there’s nothing at all you can do about it.

gilly, I thought of you while listening to Jeremy Vine and someone rang in to say that in their area a bucket of manure with a red rosette would win!

Official figures for all areas not yet in, but it’s usually 30-40%,some places even lower than 30%. General election is usually double that figure. I didn’t get anyone canvassing, had a couple of leaflets that went straight into the recycling. No posters anywhere, you’d never know there was an election here.

Turn out is low in our town because there really is no point. As I have said many times before on GN the LP could use monkeys as candidates and they would still win hands down. No competition equals absolute complacency and a town run by old timers living back in the day. No wonder young people are leaving in droves. It makes me angry and sad in equal measures.

Could it have something to do with candidates and parties who CBA to canvass, campaign or have the common courtesy to put forward some reason for our vote?
When I turned up at our village polling station it was the first time I had any idea of who was standing or indeed in which party. No election literature or communications or posters of any sort.
And still nobody has undertaken to get the pot holes filled.

I haven't seen the turn out figures, geri, what we're they?