Report shows lowest turnout in UK general election since universal suffrage
Al Jazeera
Voter turnout was 10 percent lower in areas with the most Muslims as Israel’s war on Gaza remains a key issue.
Just over 50 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the United Kingdom’s general election, making it the lowest turnout since universal suffrage began in 1928, according to a new report.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank said in its report on Friday that 52 percent of adults voted on July 4, the lowest turnout since the vote was granted to all adults over 21.
It found that voter turnout was 10 percent lower in constituencies with the highest proportion of Muslims.
Israel’s war on Gaza “was an especially salient issue in the 2024 general election that fell along religious lines”, it said.
According to the IPPR, constituencies with a high proportion of Muslims “had a lower turnout rate than areas where the Muslim population is small”. Its analysis revealed that turnout was 51 percent in areas where one-third of the population is Muslim, compared with 61 percent in places where one in 50 people are Muslim.
