Compulsory Voting Is Needed to Combat ‘Disastrously Low’ UK Turnout, Report Argues

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Keir Starmer’s Government should introduce “Australian-style” compulsory voting to combat the “disastrously low” voter turnout seen at the last UK general election, according to a new report. 

The call from the Constitution Society comes amid an ongoing trend of reducing turnout at General Elections. The last General Election saw overall turnout of registered voters fall to 59.8%, a historic low. 

But the “real” turnout, including those who could be on the electoral roll but are missing, was around 53%, according to the IPPR think tank. 

The report argues that even these numbers mask “stark disparities” in turnout rates on the basis of class, race, age, and housing tenure. 

The Constitution Society paper argues that disparities in electoral turnout are creating “warped incentives” for governments, which are pushed to prioritise the interests of higher-turnout demographics – often wealthier voters – over those of wider public. 

“The consequences of these warped incentives are policies that contribute to high inequality and low economic growth,” they say. 

The result is that unequal turnout in elections “risks trapping British politics in a spiral of stagnation and discontent, ultimately threatening the long-term health of our democracy.” 

Compulsory voting would likely involve, as in Australia, a small fine – of around £10 – for not participating, which is waived if there is a valid excuse. In Australia, that leads to turnouts of 90% or more. 

Backers of change quote the political scientist V.O. Key Jr. who said in 1949: “The blunt truth is that politicians and officials are under no compulsion to pay much heed to classes and groups of citizens that do not vote.”

Data from Ipsos’s UK Knowledge Panel suggests that turnout at the 2024 general election was:

• 13 percentage points higher amongst white people than amongst ethnic minorities
• 22 points higher amongst the highest social grades AB than amongst (more working class) social grades DE
• 34 points higher amongst those aged 65+ than amongst those aged 18-24
• 36 points higher amongst outright homeowners than amongst private and
• social renters

And now YouGov polling, commissioned for the report, shows that a plurality of the public would support the introduction of compulsory voting. And a resounding majority, 72% of Brits, are worried about politicians ignoring the interests of groups that are less likely to vote, such as young people or working-class people. 

The report’s author, Dr David Klemperer, said: “What this polling shows is that the public understand that our democracy is being undermined. Low and unequal turnout have left the UK with an unrepresentative electorate – one that is considerably richer, older, whiter, and more secure than the UK population as a whole. This has created warped incentives for politicians who are pushed to disproportionately prioritise the interests of an economically insulated minority.”

Amidst the rise of populism, the report argues that low and unequal turnout are exacerbating dissatisfaction with democracy, by rewarding politicians for pursuing policies that contribute to high inequality and low economic growth. The report warns that the UK risks becoming trapped in “a vicious cycle of unequal turnout, economic stagnation, political disillusionment, and democratic decay – a cycle that is creating the conditions in which right-wing populism can flourish”.

The ‘vicious cycle of stagnation’ of which low turnout plays a big part, according to the Constitution Society report:

High Profile Support

Today also sees the launch of a new Campaign for Compulsory Voting, bringing together academics, politicians and democracy activists. The Campaign will work to build a political consensus in favour of compulsory voting. 

The report’s proposal to introduce compulsory voting has already received support from politicians and academics. 

Backing the campaign, Antonia Bance (Labour MP for Tipton and Wednesbury) said: “Representing the constituency with the fifth-lowest turnout in the UK, I understand the damage low turnout does to democracy. 

“Low turnout means we don’t take account of younger and ethnic minority voters’ views equally, and leads to the chronic underrepresentation of the working class and its interests. 

“Compulsory voting will redress the balance, make sure working-class voices are properly heard, and change our politics for the better.” Labour peer Lord Foulkes is also supporting the new pressure group, while former Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has backed the idea. 

And Adam Price (Former leader of Plaid Cymru, MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) has added his support, saying: “Amidst a growing crisis of democracy, compulsory voting is an idea that is both necessary and urgent to restore trust in our democratic system.”

Rob Ford (Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester) argues compulsory voting would have a “big and largely positive impact on elections” in the UK. 

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“Currently, age and housing status are the strongest predictors of turnout, with older homeowners by far the most likely to vote. By reducing disparities in turnout, compulsory voting will force politicians to pay more attention to the interests of young people and renters,” Prof Ford said. 

As the report notes, mainstream politicians who attempt to cater to the needs of those alienated from the system currently risk being “penalised” by higher-turnout groups who may oppose more interventionist or wealth-taxing policies. 

Alongside compulsory voting, the report highlights the need for voter registration reform – moves towards automatic registration – for stronger Government and civil society initiatives to boost a culture of voting, and the inclusion of a new “None of the Above” option on the ballot paper.

In an introduction to the report, Polly Curtis, CEO of the Demos think tank, said: “In ordinary times we would not be considering proposals to mandate voting. In ordinary times we would be imagining a world in which democratic actors, institutions and systems earn their mandate at the polls because people see the value of voting and appreciate the choice presented to them at the polls. These are not ordinary times. 

“Trust is easily lost and very slow and difficult to win back. Compulsory voting could help jumpstart that process.” 

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Occasionally, politicians are honest about who their policies cater to. In January 2015, future Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (then Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary) told The Independent: “If you speak candidly to a campaign manager of any of the mainstream parties they will say that they concentrate their energies disproportionately on those they know are going to vote.”

And in 2023, Torsten Bell, then Resolution Foundation chief executive, and now the pensions minister, said: “Older voters dish out less political punishment for weak growth, undermining one of democracy’s core economic strengths: economic accountability. 

“Growth is more important to the living standards of workers than pensioners – it more directly affects wages and employment than pensions”.

In other words, catering largely to older voters de-prioritised long-term investments in transport, housing, and education, over short-term spending on pensions and health. 

Author Dr Klemperer writes: “This account of how the voting power of the elderly influences policy chimes with the UK’s experience since 2010: in 2015, 2017, and 2019, Conservative Governments succeeded in winning re-election despite historically low GDP growth and an “unprecedented stagnation in real wages” for working-age adults (Fry, Pittaway and Thwaites 2024). Notably, they did so largely on the basis of strong support from older voters, and in particular from older homeowners.” 

Democracies that use compulsory voting include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Greece, Honduras, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nauru, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. 

Even so, the idea is likely to prove controversial, including among opponents of Westminster’s current First Past the Post voting system who argue proportional representation is needed first.

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