southtyneside.info
Safer & Stronger Communities
Version 4, July 2008.
Proportion of 18 year olds who voted
The percentage of 18 year olds voting in elections has fluctuated in recent years.
| Date | Type of Election | % voting |
|---|---|---|
| May 2000 | Traditional/Local | 19.80 |
| May 2002 | All Postal Pilot/Local | 36.00 |
| May 2003 | All postal and E-Voting Pilot/Local | 28.50 |
| June 2004 | All Postal Combined/European and Local | 27.8 |
| May 2006 | Traditional | 21.1 |
| May 2007 | Traditional | 22.2 |
| May 2008 | Traditional | 23.3 |
In May 2008 the total number of 18 year olds in South Tyneside becoming eligible to vote in local elections was 708. Of these 'attainers', 165 (23.3%) actually voted.
'Attainer' is the term used to describe a person who becomes 18 during the currency of the register, and is entitled to vote at an election held on or after his or her eighteenth birthday.
Whilst there are variations in the voting patterns of 18 year olds between wards, South Shields and Jarrow wards experienced a similar level of overall turnout at 24.1% and 22.4% respectively.
The ward with the highest proportion of attainers that voted was Cleadon and East Boldon with 35%. The lowest turnout of attainers was 13.3% in Hebburn South.
In the May 2000 election voting was by traditional means, however the ballots in 2002 and 2004 were postal votes only, and in 2003 votes could also be cast by a variety of electronic means including via touch tone telephones, SMS text messages, internet voting and via six electronic kiosks located across the borough. In 2006,2007 and 2008 elections were again held by traditional means and it can be seen that there was a marked drop in the numbers of attainers voting, following the experimental elections. However, since the initial drop in 2006 there has been a gradual improvement year on year.
18 Year Olds Who Voted
| Ward | 04/05/2006 | 03/05/07 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total 18Yrs | No Voted | % Voted | Total 18Yrs | No Voted | % Voted | |
| South Shields Constituency | ||||||
| Beacon & Bents | 39 | 12 | 30.8 | 34 | 11 | 32.4 |
| Biddick & All Saints | 38 | 6 | 15.8 | 58 | 12 | 20.7 |
| Cleadon Park | 29 | 5 | 17.2 | 35 | 8 | 22.9 |
| Harton | 50 | 8 | 16.0 | 40 | 7 | 17.5 |
| Horsley Hill | 30 | 4 | 13.3 | 37 | 13 | 35.1 |
| Simonside & Rekendyke | 51 | 16 | 31.4 | 51 | 8 | 15.7 |
| West Park | 32 | 9 | 28.1 | 32 | 4 | 12.5 |
| Westoe | 44 | 14 | 31.8 | 40 | 11 | 27.5 |
| Whiteleas | 58 | 7 | 12.1 | 48 | 9 | 18.8 |
| Total | 371 | 81 | 21.8 | 375 | 83 | 22.1 |
| Jarrow Constituency | ||||||
| Bede | 38 | 7 | 18.4 | 31 | 6 | 19.4 |
| Boldon Colliery | 41 | 8 | 19.5 | 44 | 5 | 11.4 |
| Cleadon & East Boldon | 35 | 9 | 25.7 | 46 | 16 | 34.8 |
| Fellgate & Hedworth | 47 | 8 | 17.0 | 50 | 15 | 30.0 |
| Hebburn North | 32 | 7 | 21.9 | 31 | 8 | 25.8 |
| Hebburn South | 44 | 8 | 18.2 | 27 | 6 | 22.2 |
| Monkton | 48 | 12 | 25.0 | 37 | 8 | 21.6 |
| Primrose | 37 | 5 | 13.5 | 46 | 6 | 13.0 |
| Whitburn & Marsden | 33 | 8 | 24.2 | 34 | 7 | 20.6 |
| Total | 355 | 72 | 20.3 | 346 | 77 | 22.3 |
| Grand Total | 726 | 153 | 21.1 | 721 | 160 | 22.2 |
| Source: South Tyneside Council Elections and Registration Service | ||||||
NB. Figures based on 1982 wards are available upon request for 2000, 2002 and 2003 elections from the Information Team (information-team@southtyneside.gov.uk).