Reasons for Voting or Not Voting

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

Q1 Some people did not get along to vote at the General Election on the 7th June. Did you vote at the General Election on 7th June?

  %
Yes 80
No 20
Don't remember *

Q2 Did you vote . . . .? Base: All who say they voted (951)

  %
In person at a polling station 93
By post 6
By proxy 1
Don't know *

Q3 Were you registered to vote or not? Base: All who did not vote (208)

  %
Yes, registered to vote 83
No, not registered to vote 15
Don't know 2

Q4 People give many reasons for voting at elections. Why did you vote at the General Election on the 7th June? Base: All who say they voted (951)

  %
It is my civic duty/everyone should vote 42
I wanted to have a say 14
It is my right to vote 13
I always vote 11
So that my preferred party won 8
If people don't vote then they have no right to complain/have an opinion 8
People fought to win the right to vote for me/others 5
To defeat/remove the government 3
To prevent a party from winning 2
So that my preferred candidate won 2
To prevent a candidate from winning 1
Liked/pleased with the government 1
I was urged/persuaded to vote by a family member/friend 1
To defeat/remove my MP *
Liked/pleased with a particular candidate *
Other 6

Q5 People give many reasons for not voting at elections. Why did you not vote at the General election on the 7th June? Base: All who say they did not vote (208)

  %
I couldn't get to the polling station because it was too inconvenient 21
Was away on election day 16
Did not receive polling card/postal vote 11
I am not interested in politics 10
Was not registered to vote 6
I didn't know enough about the candidates/parties 6
Was too busy to vote 6
I didn't like the policies of any of the parties/none of the parties stood for policies I would have liked to have seen 5
I didn't like any of the candidates 4
Was not eligible to vote 2
My vote wouldn't have made any difference to the outcome 2
There was no point in voting/all parties are the same 2
The party I prefer to vote for had no chance in this area 2
They say one thing but do another 2
None of the parties were worth voting for 2
I don't think voting is very important 1
The opening hours of the polling station were inconvenient/I would have preferred to vote on the weekend 1
I was disillusioned with my party 1
I didn't know where my local polling station was *
No reason *
Other 7
Don't know 1

Q6 When we last spoke to you, you said you were certain not to vote. What made you change your mind and decide to vote? Base: All certain not to vote in Phase 1, but say they did vote (9). Small base - responses given below:

 
"I was frightened of the SNP's getting in/grandparents persuaded me"
"Was away but got it done by proxy"
"I was so set on not voting as counting as an opinion/but I decided I wanted to do something more proactive"
"Oldham riots caused me to vote"
"I had learned from polls that a large number of people did not intend to vote so I felt sufficient protest had been made"
"I voted Conservative to make a point to Blair that he is not standing up for resident people/government needs to open their eyes"
"Responsibility"
"Just wanted to"

Q7 When we last spoke to you, you said you were not very likely to vote. What made you change your mind and decide to vote? Base: All not very likely to vote in Phase 1, but say they did vote (19)

  %
Family talked me into voting 31
Felt it was my duty 43
Other 26
Don't know/refused 1

Q8 When we last spoke to you, you said you were likely to vote. What made you change your mind and decide not to vote? Base: All very/quite likely to vote in Phase 1, but say they did not vote (73)

  %
Work commitments 13
No time/too busy 12
Had to look after the children/child 11
None of the candidates appealed to me 10
Did not receive voting card 8
I was away/on holiday 7
Was unwell/in hospital 6
Didn't say that 4
Too tired/couldn't be bothered 4
Not eligible to vote 4
No transport/could not get to polling station 3
I was unsure who to vote for 3
Did not know the location of the polling station 3
Other 8
Don't know 5

Q9 When we last spoke to you, you said you were certain to vote. What made you change your mind and decide not to vote? Base: All certain to vote in Phase 1, but say they did not vote (59)

  %
Was ill/unwell 17
Did not receive voting card/card arrived too late 12
Did not receive postal vote 9
None of the parties live up to their policies/promises 8
Not registered 8
Could not get to the polling station 8
Could not decide who to vote for 7
Was away/on holiday 6
It was a foregone conclusion 5
Didn't say that 4
Work commitments 4
Other 11
Don't know 2

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