Voter turnout falls below 30%

Local Election 2019

Less than a third of people on the electoral register voted in the Rochdale borough local elections this year.

The overall turnout was 29.51%, the lowest figure in over a decade, and approximately 6.5% below the highest turnout for a local election in 2011.

Turnout is the number of people voting in an election as a percentage of the total number of people eligible to vote in that election. In the Rochdale borough, the turnout in a local election is usually significantly lower than the turnout in a general election. Turnout was 63% in 2017 general election.

A total of 441 ballots were spoiled this year; more than double that of last year. On average, turnout dropped by 1.8% across the borough.

Turnout fell from last year’s figures in every ward except Balderstone & Kirkholt (+1.4%), Littleborough Lakeside (+1.0%) and Smallbridge & Firgrove (+0.9%).

The largest turnout for 2019 was recorded in Bamford (40.5%) and Central Rochdale (38.6%), although turnout for these wards dropped by 1.8% and 6.0% respectively compared to last year.

The lowest turnouts were recorded in West Middleton (21.0%) and West Heywood (21.9%), down on last year’s turnout figures by a respective 1.4% and 0.5%.

Other wards with low turnouts this year were North Heywood (22.6%), North Middleton and Balderstone & Kirkholt (both 25.1%) and Hopwood Hall (25.3%).