Local elections: Wolverhampton ward one of UK's worst for voting
The Electoral Reform Society has called on voters to get involved in Thursday's local elections – as it was revealed that a Wolverhampton ward has one of the lowest turnouts in the country.
Bushbury South and Low Hill has an average turnout of under 30 per cent in the last three council elections, placing it as the country's tenth-worst ward for voter participation.
In 2012 just 20.3 per cent of the electorate voted, while in 2014 the figure was 24 per cent, according to data from the Electoral Commission. Last year's figure was 44.9 per cent, although turnouts across the country were substantially higher due to voting for the General Election taking place at the same time.
The ward has three Labour councillors, with the ruling group's deputy leader Peter Bilson due to contest his seat there this week. Campaigners say they are concerned there will be a low turnout again on Thursday if voters continue to see local authority elections as 'less important' than a General Election.
Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: "These figures show that there is a serious democratic deficit in local elections in England.
"Local authorities are central to running so many services – from adult social care, to waste, schools and transport.
"And with many getting more powers, it's vital that people turn out, hold them to account and have their say." Liverpool's Central ward had the lowest turnout in the country, with just 1,658 votes cast out of an electorate of 13,091 in local elections in 2012.
Across the country in 2012 a total of 41 wards saw fewer than one in five of the electorate cast a vote.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said: "Our research shows that recent home movers, young people, people from some black and minority ethnic communities, and people in rented accommodation are less likely to be registered to vote."
