Attitudes towards Changing the Voting Process

Public Sector

 

  • These results are taken from phase 2 of a panel survey conducted by MORI for the Electoral Commission (Link to the survey's home page)
  • MORI interviewed 1,162 of the 1,472 Phase 1 respondents who agreed to be re-contacted
  • Interviews were conducted by telephone between 9-18 June 2001
  • The final sample includes 257 interviews with ethnic minority respondents
  • Data are weighted to the known population profile
  • Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated
  • An '*' indicates a finding of less than 0.5%, but greater than zero
  • Where percentages do not add up to exactly 100% this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't knows" or to multiple answers

Q47-Q52 I am going to read out a number of suggestions that have been made for encouraging people to vote at General Elections. For each one, assuming it had been available at the Election on June 7th, would it have made you more likely to vote, less likely to vote, or would it have made no difference to whether or not you voted? Base: All who did not vote (208)

Q47 Voting at weekends

  %
More likely 36
Less likely 3
No difference 61
It depends 0
Don't know 0

Q48 Having polling stations at the Supermarket

  %
More likely 49
Less likely 3
No difference 46
It depends 2
Don't know *

Q49 Polling stations being open 24 hours

  %
More likely 42
Less likely 2
No difference 55
It depends *
Don't know 0

Q50 Voting using the Internet

  %
More likely 40
Less likely 4
No difference 55
It depends *
Don't know 1

Q51 Voting using the telephone or mobile phone

  %
More likely 66
Less likely 3
No difference 30
It depends 0
Don't know 0

Q52 Voting by post

  %
More likely 51
Less likely 7
No difference 40
It depends 1
Don't know 1

Q53 As you may know, before the recent General Election, the law was changed do that all registered voters could obtain a postal vote if they wanted one. They could do this by ringing their local council and asking for a postal vote. Before this interview, were you aware of this or not?

  %
Yes, was aware 77
No, not aware 23
Don't know 0
 
Net aware +54

Q54 Some people have suggested that the ballot paper for General Elections should include an option "None of the above candidates" so that people can indicate that they do not support any of the candidates. At the moment there is not an option on the ballot paper allowing people to do this.

Do you support this?

  %
Strongly support 31
Tend to support 27
Neither support nor oppose 4
Tend to oppose 13
Strongly oppose 21
Don't know 3
 
Support 58
Oppose 34
Net support +24

Q55 If there had been an option "None of the above Candidates" on the ballot paper in the recent General Election, would it have made you more likely to vote, less likely to vote or would it have made no difference to you?

  %
More likely 12
Less likely 2
No difference 86
Don't know 1

Q56 And if there had been an option "None of the above Candidates" on the ballot paper in the recent General Election, would you have voted for a candidate, would you have voted for "none of the above", or would you have not voted?

  %
Would have voted for a candidate 76
Would have voted for 'none of the above' 13
Would not have voted 7
Other *
Don't know 3

Q57 As you may be aware, of those eligible to vote 59% voted in the General Election. What, if anything, do you think can be done to increase the number of people voting at General Elections?

  %
Make voting compulsory 17
More encouragement for young people to vote/More political education 7
Polling stations in more accessible places, e.g. supermarkets 7
Politicians should stop lying 6
Voting through the post 6
Clearer policies/advertise policies 6
Voting over the internet 5
Candidates should mix with the public more 5
Make politics more interesting 4
Make people more aware of the importance of voting 4
Voting over the phone 4
Penalty/fine for not voting 2
More information through the door 2
"None of the above" option on the ballot paper 2
Parties should stop slagging each other off 2
Change to the proportional representation system 2
Weekend voting 1
Behaviour of the media discourages people from voting/They are biased 1
There should be bigger differences between the parties 1
Change candidates/make them more appealing to the General public 1
People didn't vote this time because it was a foregone conclusion 1
Provide transport for rural areas/elderly/disabled *
 
Other 9
None/nothing 5
Don't know 18

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