Demonstrating the significant shift to digital over the past few years – and perhaps even an indication of an outdated political voting system – one in six 18-24 year olds have said that they want the opportunity to vote online in the 2015 general election, according to new research from YouGov, commissioned by EngageSciences.
Of the total number of online adult respondents, 57% said they should be able to vote regularly via “online digital media” on key political issues and legislation, with the figure rising to 72% of 18-24 year olds.
However, while 88% of survey respondents agreed that social media is transforming the way people live and communicate, only 23% of all adults said they believe politicians are “effective” at using social media.
The majority of respondents also believe the country’s political process is not working, with 61% of all online adults agreeing that it is “failing”, rising to 67% of 35 to 44 year olds.
EngageSciences’ founder and CEO, Richard Jones, warns that democracy is under threat if politicians fail to respond quickly to the public’s growing frustration with Westminster.
“The results clearly show the current political process is dead,” said Jones, who has recently discussed this issue but now has figures to back him up.
“Whilst digital disruption is having a transformative effect on most industries and sectors, UK politics remains stuck in a system developed for the age of the horse, not the internet.
“John Bercow’s recent comments that online voting for general elections should be in place by 2020 isn’t enough. The political process needs to be updated now – not in five years’ time.”
Jones said that the country needs to “revolutionise political communications and use digital media to build a system of direct democracy.”
“Only then will we properly address the growing disconnect between politicians and ordinary people,” he said.
