Poll suggests historic low turnout at election

Wednesday, 23 March 2005 12:00 AM

The turnout out the forthcoming general election could reach historical lows, new data suggests.

More than a third of under-35s said they were disenchanted with the political process, according an ICM poll for The Guardian.

Sixty per cent of respondents - so-called floating voters - said they lacked a firm allegiance to any one political party and only 17 per cent of Labour and 13 per cent of Conservative voters said they were "strong supporters".

This compares to over half of Labour supporters in 1964 who said they identified "very strongly" with the party.

Turnout at the 2001 election stood at 59 per cent.

Pollsters ICM suggested turnout may be lower this year as only a half of registered voters said they were certain to vote.

The figure was 56 per cent at the same stage in 2001.

Seven out of ten (71 per cent) voters said they were interested in the general election, widely tipped for May 5th.

ICM asked 1,005 adults by telephone between March 18th and 20th.

Earlier this month, a Mori poll commissioned by the Electoral Commission and Hansard Society found 77 per cent of respondents interested in national issues, with eight out of ten interested in local issues.

But only 53 per cent said they found party politics interesting.

Tags: