Reasons for Voting and Not Voting
- These results are taken from phase 1 of a panel survey conducted by MORI for the Electoral Commission (Link to the survey's home page)
- MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,801 adults aged 18+ across the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland)
- The sample included a “booster” sample of 301 ethnic minority respondents
- Interviews were conducted by telephone on 9-15 May 2001
- 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
Q4 Why do you say that you are not 'certain' you will vote at the General Election? Base: All not certain to vote (691)
| % | |
|---|---|
| I will probably vote | 15 |
| I am too busy to vote | 11 |
| There is no point in voting/all the parties are the same | 8 |
| I am not interested in politics | 8 |
| I will be away on election day | 7 |
| Depends how strongly I feel on the day | 5 |
| Waiting to hear what candidates will say | 4 |
| None of the parties are worth voting for | 4 |
| They all say one thing but do another | 3 |
| Will vote unless I'm ill/something unexpected happens | 3 |
| I'm disillusioned with my party | 3 |
| I can't get to the polling station because it is too inconvenient | 3 |
| I don't know enough about the candidates/parties | 2 |
| I don't think voting is important | 2 |
| My vote will not make any difference to the outcome | 2 |
| I don't like any of the candidates | 2 |
| I don't like the policies of any of the parties/ none of the parties stand for policies that I would like to see | 1 |
| I will not be eligible to vote | 1 |
| I will not be registered to vote | 1 |
| The party I prefer to vote for has no chance in this area | * |
| I don't know where my local polling station is | * |
| The voting system is unfair | * |
| Other/undecided | 9 |
| No reason | 1 |
| Don't know | 7 |
Q5 Why do you say that you are 'certain' you will vote at the General Election? Base: All certain to vote (1,110)
| % | |
|---|---|
| I always vote | 36 |
| It is my civic duty/everyone should vote | 21 |
| It is my right to vote | 20 |
| Want to have a say/to send a message | 16 |
| To defeat/remove the Government | 5 |
| So that my preferred party wins | 4 |
| My parents/people fought to win the right to vote for me | 4 |
| To prevent a party from winning | 1 |
| To prevent a candidate from winning | 1 |
| I like/am pleased with a particular party | 1 |
| I was urged/persuaded to vote by family/friends | * |
| I like/am pleased with a particular candidate | * |
| I like/am pleased with the Government | * |
| To defeat/remove my MP | * |
| So that my preferred candidate wins | * |
| Other | 4 |
| Don't know | * |
| Refused | * |
Q5b How interested would you say you are in politics?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very interested | 14 |
| Fairly interested | 45 |
| Not particularly interested | 29 |
| Not at all interested | 11 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| Interested | 59 |
| Not interested | 40 |
Q6 Which of the following comes closest to your reasons for intending to vote for the […] party? Base: All naming a party (1,354)
| % | |
|---|---|
| It is the party that most represents your views | 79 |
| The party you support has little chance of winning in this constituency so you vote for the […] party to try and keep another party out | 10 |
| Other | 11 |
| No opinion | * |
