Voter engagement, electoral inequality and first time compulsory voting

Birch, S. and Lodge, G. (2015) Voter engagement, electoral inequality and first time compulsory voting. Political Quarterly, 86(3), pp. 385-392. (doi: 10.1111/1467-923X.12178)

Abstract

This paper reviews the problem of declining turnout and proposes as a solution a system whereby each elector would be legally obliged to vote in the first election for which they were eligible. Popular attitudes toward first-time compulsory voting are measured and probed by means of UK data. The main findings of the paper are that first-time compulsory voting is a politically and administratively feasible proposal that appears tentatively to command popular support and has the potential to help address a number of the problems associated with declining turnout, and in particularly low rates of electoral participation among younger citizens.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Birch, Professor Sarah
• Authors: Birch, S., and Lodge, G.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Political Quarterly
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
• ISSN: 0032-3179
• ISSN (Online): 1467-923X
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 The Authors
• First Published: First published in The Political Quarterly 86(3):385-392
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher