Has anyone else thought this election has gone dead? Where are the last minute rallies, the mishaps on Brighton beach, the gaffes , the lurid headlines in the red-tops? Where is the fun, the expectation, the nervous anticipation?

People I know who are close to me are making other plans for Thursday, they may or may not vote, fitting a trip to the election station against other more important things. More important things? 

It is time to remind people that Governments that get elected on small turn-outs are disenfranchised in the eyes of other countries. Your vote counts as much at this election, where the result is not in doubt, as it would be were we heading for a hung parliament.

Because all you have is one vote and that vote is your right , given to you because you qualify for it. Around the world, in countries less privileged than ours, people queue to vote.

Many people lose that right – including Bryn and Ros (peers of the realm).  Many never qualify for it – but choosing not to vote because you cannot be bothered  is an insult to those who fought to get and keep you your right to choose.

You should be ashamed of yourself if that is the action you choose to take.

The Greatest threat to democracy

Whoever the authoress of the quote above is, she is right. The failure of ordinary people to engage with the political process allows extreme views to get currency. The views of extreme populism take root and grow where those who hold mainstream opinions fail to register their vote.

I dragged the 5 reasons people don’t vote from a 2019 Raconteur article when the country was facing a different set of circumstances. They reminded me that the “excuse” not to vote recurs every four years and is always just an excuse

We examine five causes of voter apathy in the UK.

1.  Reasons people don’t vote: lack of interest

The first reason why people don’t vote is simple: they just are not interested.

Since the 1992 general election – when 77.7 per cent of the population voted – voter turnout has decreased and remained low. This decrease coincides with the rise of the internet. Nowadays, more and more people consume information through ‘social media echo chambers’, rather than reading daily newspaper headlines or tuning in to the 10 o’clock news.

This means that what individuals see is dictated by algorithms, showing them stories relevant to them, according to what their friends and people they follow share. This has many consequences, but the significant one here is that those that don’t want to engage with politics (even with political parties’ sophisticated social media targeting) don’t have to.

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2. Reasons people don’t vote: lack of knowledge

Many people who don’t vote believe they don’t understand enough about the government, the election process or individual party policies.

This is largely down to the British education system, which does not equip students with relevant political knowledge. The majority of schools teach politics only as an opt-in subject at GCSE and A-level, if they offer it at all.

Consequently, many students leave school at 18 with little to no knowledge of the British political system. In 2013, fewer than 7,000 boys took an A-level in government and politics, while only 5,990 girls chose to study the subject.

Without the right political education, young people don’t feel able to engage with politics, a fact which has previously impacted young voter turnout. Only 39 per cent of those under 24 years old planned to vote in 2017 , compared to 68 per cent of those aged 55-64.

3. Reasons people don’t vote: disillusionment

It’s clear a large proportion of the British public have had enough of the ‘political elite’, who they neither trust nor relate to. Indeed, the Brexit vote has been viewed by many commentators as a way for disillusioned voters to put a middle finger up to the political establishment.

A study by Survation found that the largest percentage of people who did not vote in 2015 did so because their beliefs were not represented by the parties and candidates.

Additional reasons included trust, with all parties having a track record of breaking manifesto pledges. Recent election campaigns have been full of u-turns, and even outright lies in local candidates’ leaflets.

On top of this, many people who don’t vote are feeling election fatigue after five years of continuous voting, from the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, to Boris Johnson’s current pledged general election.

4. Reasons people don’t vote: safe seat residents

Many people who don’t vote are nonetheless interested in politics and even support a political party, but don’t vote because they feel their vote would be wasted.

These are people who live within parliamentary constituencies with safe seats. If these seats have a strong majority for a party they do not support, they may see little point voting.

For instance, a Labour or Liberal Democrat supporter living in the Chipping Barnet constituency may be deterred from voting as this has been a Tory stronghold since its birth in 1974. Additionally, with 48.6 per cent voting Conservative in 2015, there’s little chance this seat would swing drastically any other way any time soon.

5. Reasons people don’t vote: they can’t

Finally, some people don’t vote because they simply are not allowed to. Groups of people who are not eligible to vote include members of the House of Lords, most prisoners, and foreign citizens from outside the UK, Ireland, or the Commonwealth.

Perhaps the most important disenfranchised group, however, are those under 18. The move to lower the voting age has been gaining momentum since it was first put before Parliament in 1999. YouGov research from 2018 shows that public support for 16 and 17-year-olds’ right to vote has increased from 20 to 34 per cent since 2013, but still does not enjoy widespread favour.

Whichever reason you feel might apply to you, do not let it be an excuse. Excuse yourself from apathy and make it to the polling station. Vote properly for one candidate. Do not spoil your voting paper.

Make yourself proud to be an elector.