Six percent of the people who failed to vote in the May 12 provincial election just plain forgot.
That's just one of the findings of the Post-Election Voter/Non-Voter Satisfaction Survey conducted for Elections B.C. following the vote.
Some 35 percent of the non-voters surveyed said the main reason they did not vote was 'personal', including people who were busy, out of town or sick. Seven percent were pessimistic about their vote making a difference and 29 percent were “disengaged” with the process or politics in general.
Asked what would make them more likely to vote, 34 percent said a change of political parties would help.
For those who did vote, most said the main reason they voted was the issues (39 percent). Others said they saw it as a responsibility (28 percent) or part of their belief in democracy (28 percent).
Voters were more likely than non-voters to have a post-secondary education (56 percent vs. 47 percent) and to be over 55 years old (49 percent vs. 20 percent).
The May provincial election saw voter turnout drop. Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld said at the time that with roughly half of eligible voters casting a ballot, turnout was in the range where "alarm bells go off."
Surveyors conducted interviews with 1,500 eligible voters, half of whom had voted and half of whom had not. (The surveyors contacted 11,798 possible respondents, 10,298 of whom refused to participate, to find the 1,500 people.)
The full survey results are available from Elections BC.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
4
Login or register to post comments
coastalgirl
2 years ago
Didn't Vote....Don't complain!
How sad is it that so many people forgot or were too busy to vote in May. To those people I say do not complain about our government and what they are doing as you chose not to be part of the process so please keep your comments to yourself. Tomorrow when the budget is presented I will comment and I will complain, but hey I voted I have that right.
Fiat lux
2 years ago
People love dictatorships as
People love dictatorships as it frees them from making decisions.
This is how and why they admire the "great" and the "powerful".
Ed Deak.
offended
2 years ago
My vote didn't make a difference
Because it's a solid Liberal stronghold. I forced myself to vote even though it made not an iota's worth of difference. Very discouraging that people voted for the guy they voted for, who shall remain nameless because it really doesn't matter. All these Liberals MLA's are sheep to their shepherd Gordon.
freebear
2 years ago
Voting is not the only citizen prerequisite!
Non voters have a right to complain in my opinion because they are still citizens.
Also voting age requirements exclude younger citizens remember.
If not offered a satisfactory candidate to vote for, one can choose to spoil their ballot or not vote.
If they gave an election and nobody came it would mean the election was illegitimate, and any fool willing to accept a mandate from so few voters would also be seen as illegitimate!
Next election no one should vote!
And those that do vote may only be trying to take advantage/manipulate and win an illegitimate election!