Why it is not smart making non-voters your main priority
Basing your electoral strategy on appealing to non-voters is like trying to sell cars to people who don't drive http://t.co/CpyWEYxRts
— David Boothroyd (@220_d_92_20) August 28, 2015
If you couldn’t be arsed last May then the chances are that it will be the same next time
It’s a seductive strategy that all parties try from time to time – make going for non-voters the main strategy but it is a wrong one. I’d argue that it is easier to persuade interested election participants to change than it is to get those who never turnout to alter their habits.
Just look at how well the Tories did on May 7th keeping the UKIP vote down in key marginals while not worrying about the purples making progress where it didn’t matter.
We underestimate how big a thing it is to vote for the first time and all the evidence is that the more you skip elections the chance of you voting the next time decline.
Boothroyd’s Tweet is spot on.