Why Don't British Young People Vote at General Elections?

Abstract

Turnout in the 2001 UK general election sunk to a post-war low of just 59%. It is clear that, at this election, even fewer young, first-time voters participated. Over the past decade, journalists and youth-oriented interest groups have highlighted an apparent growth in young people's non-interest in politics. There are many explanations that have been offered to account for this phenomenon. Drawing from both political science and youth studies, this article identifies four broad explanations to understanding young people's non-participation: youth focused, politics focused, alternative value' and generational approaches. It is recommended that popular explanations based on young people's apathy or their alternative interest in environmental and identity politics cannot by themselves explain non-participation. Instead, more consideration should be given to young people's changing transition journeys to adult statuses and, in particular, the extent to which the cues to encourage participation have disappeared.