Why is turnout in local elections so low?

agree Deedaa people I know dont see a change in council as making any difference .They need to feel their vote will force a change and that doesn't happen in local elections.The councils are still run under the same westminster constraints ..so no change.When there is a hope of making a big difference people come out to vote because they think their vote counts so elections for the parliaments do much better

I think most people feel it doesn't make much difference to their daily life. I got results when I continually harassed a couple of Conservative councillors about our parking problems, but I would have expected the same from any of the parties.

^We need investment in our towns. We need to stop the encroachment on our few remaining green belts and build on the many brown fill sites closer to the town centres. I'd also say, we need more people living in the town centres. It seems to work in market towns and wealthy cities doesn't it

I agree with you Iam64

These are issues our local councils should be promoting.
However, so many city centres are suffering as shops close due to online shopping habits. I am not sure how we can re-energise them, but we need to stop the rot now before they all become depressing. I was in Leeds and Manchester frequently last month and people do live in the city centre but I was surprised how many huge and soulless blocks of flats (sorry 'apartments') had been built around city centres, how many blocks of student accommodation existed and how many pop-up, small tenancy shops there were. It didn't seem hopeful or exciting, just rather faceless and sad.

As others have mentioned, I don't think residents have much faith in local government. All local councils (of larger cities) seem to encourage development in terms of building but the extra revenue from rents, etc, seems to be swallowed up. One political group seems much like the other.

And I too had no one canvas in the form of door knocking or leaflets. I did know who the candidates were because I make a point of checking but many would not have realised there was a local election in these parts.

IKR! Driving on some of our local roads is like doing a slalom, trying to avoid falling into a deep, dark pit of obscurity!

Bins emptied - tick. Potholes filled - aaaggghhhh

There were no elections here this year but I agree with MaizieD, I think many people just aren't interested. So long as bins get emptied and potholes filled, people aren't bothered.

My Dd used to work for a local council and sometimes dealt with complaints. 95% of them were about bins and the roads!

Years ago, we lived in an area where almost all councillors were independent, they really did seem to just want was best for the community. So many councillors now seem to have vested interests, often revolving around building/planning issues.

3 other candidates maryeliza conservatives, independent and green .

gilly do you happen to know what overall share of the actual votes cast candidates from other parties received? Indeed were there candidates from other parties?

Labour have been in power locally for many years but they did make the attempt to canvas not once but a couple of times as did the Conservatives. I was aware fairly early because of the amount of leaflets delivered almost twice weekly. The Lb Dems did not bother and they also did not waste money on setting out their ideas on paper.

One fairly rich area has been wiped out and Labour has taken over- it will be interesting next time.

Our councillors are a) mostly male b) mostly above retirement age or at least getting that way and c) very full of their own self importance. Only the LP bothers to canvas at all. Others sometimes shove leaflets through the door but we never actually see any candidates.

This time, a young woman came round, introduced herself and asked if we would vote for her. It was so good to see a young person in the frame.

I do wonder if people generally are fully aware what services are provided locally. For instance, I'm aware that some people think hospitals are run by the local authority. Others are confused between local and national government (ie. the civil service).

Better education on civic affairs is the answer, surely.

I voted fior an independant candidate . Waste of breath and paper though .

We have 53 out of 54 labour councillors in the entire borough ! Try taking them on . It’s an impossible task and they know it . Complacency at its worst . Oh and a 33% turnout to vote . Why bother ?

But, Annie, how do we make people realise that it's no good complaining unless you have some input? Actually voting is the simplest thing to do but taking a bit of responsibility for the community and getting involved would be even better.

We have an issue in our village which is causing huge amounts of complaints on the local FB site about the Parish Council riding roughshod over the wishes of the villagers (ie people who have lived here all their lives rather than just 30+ years) but we still have 2 vacancies on the Parish Council which can't be filled. And, 'the villagers' do nothing more than complain.

It baffles me!

Yes Maryeliza We have 73 county councillors , power is with the conservatives and independants , 32 Independent, 19 conservatives, Libs 13, Labour 7, Plaid 2.

our town is labour controlled town councillors, we worked our socks off to achieve this .

Two earner not top earner - sorry

And sadly, gilly your Council isn’t the only example. And when it’s the other way round, as it is here, those in greater need get neglected in the prioritisation of the use of increasingly scarce resources, Our council couldn’t spell affordable housing and only listen of course to the NIMBYs when issues of house building are discussed. But the majority here ( especially of older people) are at least comfortable and there’s job vacancies all over (albeit at minimum wage). Because the area is relatively affluent quite a lot of youngsters get help with buying houses from parents/grandparents and those that don’t move away if they can or live in poor conditions or at home. But even with help to buy a house, top earner families are hard up - travel costs to London where many work are huge and child care costs as well. PR would help surely to get better, less complacent councils.ab many many years ago when I lived in N Wales there were a lot of Independent Councillors - is that still the case?

We have a Labour council but it certainly isn't "looking after those who are retired from heavy industry, the public sector and those who haven't done a days work in their lives".

If you're referring to the benefits people receive gillybob, then that's a national, not a local issue. The public sector in our area, as in all other areas whether there is a conservative or labour council, is cut to the bone. Our support services are being shut down due to the austerity approach of this government. Labour councils in poor areas like mine, are getting less government funding than wealthy areas in the SE. Why?
The absence of industry, enterprise, the way our town centres are full of boarded up shops etc isn't entirely the fault of Labour councils. I share the general frustration about this situation but not voting and voter apathy doesn't help anyone.
We need investment in our towns. We need to stop the encroachment on our few remaining green belts and build on the many brown fill sites closer to the town centres. I'd also say, we need more people living in the town centres. It seems to work in market towns and wealthy cities doesn't it.

Whilst I agree some candidates don't seem to make much of an effort, surely it is possible for us to find out things for ourselves. Too many people use the excuse that they didn't vote because they didn't know anything about the candidates.

We had no local election where I live but I was aware there were elections taking place, if I had received no literature I would have gone to the library and found some or looked it up online. I know who my MP is and who my County and Parish councilors are. I also know who the MPs are for the surrounding constituencies and I am not that into politics.

Not low here, living in a market town in a large county with only market towns and villages, we know our councillors in our area.

Of course it’s moaning MazieD except all the moaning in the world won’t change anything here. A complacent ruling Labour council since 1929 looking after those who are retired from heavy industry, the public sector and those who haven’t done a days work in their lives . We have little private growth, enterprise or even shops anymore because there’s nothing here for the young.

Isn't really 'caring'

P.S Having a moan about council tax and councillors is really 'caring'; it's just moaning

There's no logic to this 'argument'. People don't turn out because buckets of manure with various coloured rosettes can be elected because of the rosette colour..

If people did turn out and vote for a different coloured rosette then perhaps the manure wouldn't get elected quite so often...

But then, the other saying that is trotted out as 'truth' with depressing regularity is 'politicians are all the same'. Which also promotes a 'why bother voting?' mindset

I still think that the truth is that people in general just don't care about local government.

We seem to have the same problem then MaryEliza and Greenfinch with no active opposition.

Personally it’s because many people in these parts of the NE are still living in the past when heavy industry was the main employer. The elderly (mostly living in LA housing) have a bit of an “I’m alright Jack” attitude as they are well catered for and can’t see that there is nothing in the town for young people any more.