Low turnout in local elections is a structural problem, study shows

There is not one single explanation for the historically low turnout of 51 percent during the March municipal elections. Coronavirus infections may have dampened turnout, and the war in Ukraine meant that the media paid less attention to the elections than in other years, said researchers who analyzed the low turnout on behalf of the Cabinet.

However, what they mainly observed were structural factors. People who do not vote often have little faith in local politics. They also have very little interest in it, the report showed.

Researchers from various universities, including institutions in Utrecht and Amsterdam, contributed to the research. They specifically searched for people who did not vote to ask them about their motives. They were very diverse, confirming results from previous studies.

In addition to a years-long declining interest in local politics for years, the researchers heard that many people found it "extremely difficult to make a choice between parties." Non-voters did not feel well informed about the election. The researchers noted that in the run-up to the election, the media focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February. As a result, the elections were somewhat buried as a subject.

Women, young people, people with vocational education and people with a family immigration background often skipped the municipal elections, the researchers wrote. They found it worrying that the turnout was only just above 50 percent. "A turnout of less than half of the eligible residents is often seen as a critical lower limit for the legitimacy of the municipal government," they noted. Four years earlier, the turnout was not much higher at 55 percent.

Minister of the Interior Hanke Bruins Slot concluded in an accompanying letter to the Tweede Kamer that the research shows that a low turnout in local elections "is a structural problem.” She also said she believes this is "a cause for concern.”

The researchers advised politicians to strive for a "better relationship between voters and politics.” That is better than simply aiming for a higher turnout percentage, they believe. Bruins Slot agreed with them. In the run-up to the elections for the Provincial Councils and the water boards, on 15 March next year, the minister also wants to point out to citizens "the importance of these representative bodies" in a marketing campaign.