Trend

Voter turnout is useful measure of how involved local residents are in democracy and decision-making processes. The chart below illustrates recent trends in voter turnout at UK General Elections in the period 1997-2019.

socialcap voter general GLA NAT TREND 2020

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Voter turnout across the UK dropped sharply in 2001 compared to 1997, but turnout has steadily recovered since.  It is notable that at the 2015 General Election, voter turnout in Scotland rose to exceed that in the UK as a whole. It dropped below the UK average again in 2017, and is now close to the UK average of 68%.

The graph below shows how voter turnout compares between Scotland's four largest cities and illustrates the rise in turnout in general elections in recent years.

socialcap voter general SCOT TREND 2020

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Notes

Further information on turnout at general elections can accessed from the House of Commons Library and the Electoral Commission.

Indicator LinkIndicator links

See Politics in the Mindset domain for related information.

Additional Resources

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