To increase participation we should open the polls early

By Linda Riordan

The recent election and ingauration of Barack Obama has been, politically, a wonderfully bright moment in these dark days of the global economic downturn. ‘Obama mania’ really did grip everyone on both sides of the Atlantic. For once this not was not media hype but a real feeling that something historic was being witnessed. Now things are settling down, and Obama is getting on with the job in hand, it’s a time for reflection. In British politics it does us no harm to cast our eyes across the Atlantic and learn one or two things about the American way of doing things. In terms of their electoral methods there is plenty we can pick up, learn from and use here. One of these is ‘early voting’.

The British election system is still very conservative with a small ‘c’. For years we have voted on the same day of the week, Thursday, in the same way, at the same polling stations. And the Americans much the same – on a Tuesday – until very recently when they asked the very topical question… “Why Tuesday”?

True, the U.K. has seen recent electoral innovations brought in which are positive, such as the rise in the uptake of postal ballots, but with turnout dropping, faith in the political system falling, and people feeling more remote from their elected representatives than ever, radical steps need to be taken.

On the 7th of January Congressman Steve Israel introduced the Weekend Voting Act in the U.S. Senate and the House. “It’s crazy to me that we’re only allowing people to vote over a certain period of hours on one day,” Israel said. “Other nations that have much higher voter turnout allow their people to vote over several days.” Unfortunately, the UK is only marginally higher that America. The work of Congressman Israel has been spurred on by the Organisation ‘Why Tuesday’ (whytuesday.org) whose motto is: “fixing our voting system, one question at a time” and have publicly supported Israel’s call.

So should we now be asking on this side of the Atlantic, “Why Thursday”? Turnout is already worryingly low in local elections; I suspect it wont be that high in this summer’s Euro-elections and if it starts falling any lower at general elections, the alarm bells will start ringing. Which is why, I feel, so much more could be done to encourage voter participation, increase turnout and restore the vital link between the voters and the people they are voting for. Turnout can be raised only by making voting easier or more attractive. With little power of weather conditions, this can only be done with alternative schemes affecting the way votes are cast, such as postal voting, or better yet, extending election time so all our cards don’t have to be placed on the table on one day.

The Government has introduced some welcome measures in this area. However, there is so much more that could be done. That is why I recently tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons on ‘Early Voting’. I have come to the conclusion that allowing only one day for people to vote is insufficient and can hinder the democratic process. That is why I am holding a Westminster Hall adjournment debate to get this issue more publicity and although other MPs to contribute to the discussion.

The evidence is clearly there, from across the pond, that turnout can be raised substantially by making voting easier or more attractive. In the US, record levels of early voting were thought to have strongly benefited Obama. More than 30 states in the U.S. now allow early voting and research has indicated that more voters are interested in casting their ballots early than ever before. 30% did exactly that in November’s presidential elections. So, in short, it’s time for a radical overhaul of our voting system here.

Clearly, the flexibility of early voting is popular state-side. This is not a narrow party political issue. There is no evidence that any one party would increase its share of the vote, although Obama did benefit more than McCain from such changes to voting methods. However, no politician or party should be against a move that makes the franchise easier to use. Expanding democracy is not something elected politicians should ever be against. Already my EDM has attracted more than 50 signatures from across the political divide. They all support the greater electoral equality that early voting would bring.

At a time when it’s crucial that voter participation is increased, we need to be a bit bolder in the reform of our system. Recent years have seen a wide range of pilot schemes but they quickly fall from favour. It’s time to drag our voting system into the 21st century, look at way the American elections caught the imagination, understand why people took advantage of early voting and introduce it in this country. We need to help turnout in this country not hinder it. How democracy works has evolved over centuries and it’s time to arouse voter engagement in this country before we sleepwalk into dangerously low turnout levels.