Decision making and community participation
'Democracy is about ensuring that every citizen has a say in who holds power and that the power they hold is accountable and legitimate. The extent to which people are politically engaged, therefore, is of critical importance to the health of a democratic society.'1
2005 included a general election, so more people attended polling stations to vote for their local elections on the same day. The Hertfordshire average for voting turnout for local elections was around 65%, following the trend of higher turnout in general election years. In 2004, local turnout was just under 42%. Although 2004 saw the European Union elections on the same day as local elections, it is likely that this had the effect of increasing the EU vote rather than the local one.
2005 MORI estimates reveal that young people were half as likely to vote as older age groups with estimated turnout among young people at 37%. Research by the Electoral Commission following the 2005 general election suggested that the lack of voting has more to do with a weak campaign by political parties and a sense of 'nothing will change' by voters, rather than a lack of interest in politics or apathy about issues.
In 2005, the proportion of postal votes trebled, rising from 4% to 12.1% since 2001, however the conclusion on postal voting is that the resulting overall increase in turnout is only 1% of the total vote, so it has not proved the success which was hoped for in boosting turnout.
Locally, there were County Council elections in 2005, and most District Councils in Hertfordshire held elections in 2004, other than Dacorum and East Herts who hold theirs every four years; the next one is due in 2007.
Councils in Hertfordshire were actively involved in Local Democracy Week in October 2005:
Three Rivers District Council held an 'open door day' and 'Councillors' question time' and held surgeries at local schools to encourage young people to bring their concerns about their area to local politicians. Dacorum Borough Council ran workshops to help young people make informed decisions about local politics.
Indicator DM1 - Electoral turnout (average % turnout for Hertfordshire local councils and national average for local councils)
Local Election Turnout
Source: LGC Local Elections Centre
Hertfordshire County Council hosted a debate featuring councillors and members of the UK Youth Parliament entitled: 'Should parents be held responsible for truanting children?' The youngsters were given a briefing on truancy by 'expert witnesses' before getting stuck into the debate and were then given tips on debating skills by the Leader of the Council and Executive Members. 'The aim of the event was to interest youngsters in local politics but the we definitely learned as much from them as they did from us' was the view from councillors at the end of the day.
St Albans District Council employed a Theatre company to perform their drama performance of 'Who runs this place?' in two schools. Local Democracy Week in 2006 will run from Monday 16th October.
1. The Electoral Commission and the Hansard Society, 'An audit of political engagement 2', 2005.