The people's choice

摘要

E-voting pilots have shown that SMS and e-voting are popular with electors, so how soon can we expect to see these alternatives to traditional ballots being widely used? Sally Flood reports Nearly 50% of first-time voters have voted for a Big Brother contestant, but only 40% plan to cast a vote in next month's general election, according to political research firm YouGov. This lack of engagement is certainly not down to a lack of interest: YouGov found that 70% of young people are "very interested" in issues such as taxes, the environment and healthcare. So why can't young voters be persuaded to take part in public elections?