We need an independent electoral commission to tackle voter apathy and low registration rates among young people, writes David Begg
As we head towards two elections and a referendum on June 11th the issue of electoral turnout re-enters the political debate. A recent Eurobarometer poll showed that fewer than one in three Irish people intend to vote in the forthcoming European election. Certainly we are not the worst in the EU in this regard. The UK and Austria lie at the bottom of the expected electoral turnout table, at 23 per cent each. However, it must be noted that their European Parliament poll will not coincide with local elections and a citizenship referendum.
Declining electoral turnout, particularly amongst the under 25s, tends to be passed off as voter apathy amongst our young people. However, research conducted by the Central Statistics Office in conjunction with the National Youth Council of Ireland highlighted that approximately 20 per cent of those aged 18-25 years may not actually be registered to vote. It showed that non-registration rather than voter apathy was the most frequently cited reason why young people do not vote. Furthermore, not being registered to vote was cited by 22 per cent of the non-voters of all ages in the May 2002 general election.
The inaccuracy of the electoral register and barriers to joining the supplementary register are recurring issues raised with the independent Democracy Commission in our consultations with the public across Ireland.
In response we undertook a short survey of voter registration in Ireland. Our most significant finding was the relatively poor impact of the supplementary register. Overall, the percentage of voters added through the supplementary register since its introduction lies between 2 and 4 per cent, according to all our respondents, bearing in mind that inclusion on the supplementary register requires presenting a form for stamping at the local Garda station or council offices with ID.
Our findings complement research on the part of the Vincentian Partnership for Justice, which discovered that many people living in socially disadvantaged areas were reluctant to go to the Garda station due to negative perceptions and experiences of the Garda.
Others did not wish to be seen entering a Garda station by their neighbours. Those who did visit their local Garda station found that some of the gardaí were not familiar with the registration process and the correct forms.
Asylum-seekers and refugees, who have the right to vote in local elections, have also experienced significant difficulties registering for the forthcoming election. The registration card they receive from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, often the only form of ID they possess, was only recently accepted at some Garda stations even though it includes photographs of the bearer. This was because on the reverse the card states that "this is not an ID card".
Pressure from advocacy groups resulted in the recognition of the department's card as formal ID for voter registration purposes. While this was a favourable move on the part of the Government, some within the community and voluntary sector fear that it came too late, leaving an often marginalised sector of Irish society with a negative experience of Irish democracy.
Voting mobilisation and facilitation are features of electoral commissions. In South Africa, for example, the Electoral Commission, prior to the November 2000 municipal elections, held a voter registration weekend and opened its 15,020 voting stations to register voters for the elections. It also used this opportunity to encourage youths aged between 16 and 18 to apply for registration for future elections.
Other features it uses to facilitate voting include an online facility for voters to check if they are registered and the location of the nearest polling station to them.
South Africa is not alone in its efforts to increase electoral awareness and electoral turnout.
Closer to home, Britain's Electoral Commission makes the eligibility criteria for voting and the voter registration form available on its web page. Moreover, it offers voters the option to download the form in languages ranging from Arabic to Vietnamese.
International research has shown that "habit", in other words voting in one election increases a person's likelihood of voting in future elections, is a key factor in mobilising voters. The focus is on getting the person out to vote in the first instance.
Voter education programmes, particularly in disadvantaged areas, have been successful in this regard. The Western Australian Electoral Commission has developed an electoral education centre to increase voter awareness in a country where voting is compulsory. Mock elections and interactive displays are some of the tools it uses at primary and post primary level in schools.
It also has educational programmes aimed at adults and community groups. Interestingly, in the case of Western Australia, the Electoral Commission also oversees union elections.
Typically, electoral commissions are independent regulatory agencies whose remit is to impartially assist and supervise elections and referendums on both the local and national level. Other objectives of electoral commissions include enforcing electoral legislation, monitoring election spending, promoting public awareness and regulating political parties.
Currently, a variety of organisations, including the Referendum Commission, the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Constituency Commission and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government provide these functions in Ireland. It will be part of our work as the Democracy Commission to look at whether democracy in Ireland would be better served if one body could oversee these matters. International practice certainly suggests that it might.
The idea of an independent Irish electoral commission is not new. The Referendum Commission, for one, has called for such a body, and the issue becomes increasingly relevant since the collapse of the Government's e-voting initiative. Certainly Ireland has much to learn from the recent experience in India where its Electoral Commission oversaw the smooth implementation of electronic voting in the world's largest democracy.
David Begg is general secretary of ICTU and chairman of the independent Democracy Commission, an initiative of TASC (a think tank for social change) and Democratic Dialogue. The commission presents its first progress report in Dublin today, available at www.democracycommission.ie.