Turnout of the Isle of Wight Council’s 2021 election was down on previous years — with more than 70,000 eligible Islanders choosing not to vote at all.
Falling by nearly 4%, voter turnout in this year’s election was 36.93% — with 41,002 votes being accepted and 349 ballot papers rejected for either being want of an official mark; voting for more than one candidate; writing or marking the paper which meant the voter could be identified or being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty.
Out of an electorate of 111,885 people, more than 70,500 did not vote this year.
Of all the votes cast, the Conservative party got the most, with 38.6% ( 15,825 votes), but were still unable to hold enough seats for a majority over the council.
Here is how all groups fared and what percentage of the vote they received:
- Conservatives: 15,825 (38.6%)
- Independents: 10,039 (24.5%)
- Labour: 4,760 (11.6%)
- Green Party: 4,541 (11.1%)
- Liberal Democrats: 2,139 (5.2%)
- Our Island: 1,427 (3.5%)
- Island Independent Network: 1,327 (3.2%)
- Vectis Party: 886 (2.2%)
Compared to the votes for 2017, where the Conservatives managed to secure 25 seats and the majority, they lost 2,552 votes in the latest election — a swing of -2.7%
Grouping all of the Independent candidates, including from the Island Independent Network, there was a downwards swing of votes of 0.5%, losing 1,142 votes compared to 2017.
Gaining one seat in 2021 means the Labour party now has an official councillor at County Hall. It is also the only party to have an upwards swing of votes, gaining 1.9% more of the votes in 2021 than in 2017.
Labour received only 9.7% four years ago, growing to 11.6% this time, although it still was not enough to secure a second representative on the Isle of Wight Council — and left 27 beaten candidates.
The Green Party, going from zero to two councillors representing the group, received 1,056 fewer votes than the previous local authority elections — a 1.5% downward swing, falling from 12.6% of the Island’s vote to 11.1%.
The Liberal Democrats lost one of its two seats during this round of elections as well as 636 votes. The group also lost one% of its voter popularity — swinging down to 5.2%.
The highest turnout in all the wards of the Isle of Wight Council was for the seat of Chale, Niton and Shorwell – which was only a 2-horse race between the Conservatives, who were trying to retain the seat, and the Greens, who ultimately came up trumps.
Out of an electorate of 2,986, 1,530 ballot papers were issued — a 50.33% turnout — 876 votes for Cllr Claire Critchison and 636 for the former leader of the council, Dave Stewart, with 18 ballots unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty.
The lowest turnout overall was in Ryde South East where only 389 ballot papers were issued to people, out of a possible 1,750 — 22.23%.
The winning candidate, Conservative’s Warren Drew, only got 112 votes to secure his place on the Isle of Wight Council, with the other 4 candidates standing getting between 78 and 64 votes.
What was the turnout in your area?
- Bembridge: 43.25%
- Binstead and Fishbourne: 44.28%
- Brading and St Helens: 40.27%
- Brighstone, Calbourne and Shalfleey: 48.77%
- Carisbrooke and Gunville: 35%
- Central Rural: 37.32%
- Chale, Niton and Shorwell: 50.33%
- Cowes Medina: 31.41%
- Cowes North: 40.97%
- Cowes South and Northwood: 39.89%
- Cowes West and Gurnard: 49.09%
- East Cowes: 41.99%
- Fairlee and Whippingham: 35.51%
- Freshwater North and Yarmouth: 41.43%
- Freshwater South: 38.94%
- Haylands and Swanmore: 33.13%
- Lake North: 31.86%
- Lake South: 37.09%
- Mountjoy and Shide: 30.03%
- Nettlestone and Seaview: 47.15%
- Newchurch, Havenstreet and Ashey: 41.06%
- Newport Central: 26.29%
- Newport West: 30.60%
- Osborne: 29.23%
- Pan and Barton: 23.80%
- Parkhurst and Hunnyhill: 27.62%
- Ryde, Appley and Elmfield: 34.77%
- Ryde Monktonmead: 30.18%
- Ryde North West: 34.93%
- Ryde South East: 22.23%
- Ryde West: 35.07%
- Sandown North: 35.02%
- Sandown South: 29.88%
- Shanklin Central: 34.98%
- Shanklin South: 35.96%
- Totland and Colwell: 43.57%
- Ventnor and St Lawrence: 39.99%
- Wootton Bridge: 39.73%
- Wroxall, Lowtherville and Bonchurch: 41.43%
There will be even less voting when legislation is passed requiring photo ID to vote – not everyone has a driving licence or a passport for various reasons.
Huh thought we lived in a democratic society !
So voting was a low turnout, my concern is local elections are down to individual Councillors getting out and about especially online Twitter is a good platform Retired Councillor Wayne Whittle is every day, it’s about getting out there no person had come canvassing here near me but how do you vote if your not interested in local politics interesting thought Bembridge Yarmouth Seaview high turn out, Pan Binstead Ryde south low turnout
Therefore, 70,000 islanders have no right to complain about the IW Council if they do not like what they do over the next four or five years..
How could we vote when we had no idea what we were voting for. All we had was the usual
rhetoric with no substance. Nobody has any faith in any of the parties.
I wonder what would happen of you could vote for NONE of the ABOVE, and if that got more votes than any candidate, they would have to run the election again but with different candidates.
Would we then get candidates that actually did what they say they would pre election.
Just goes to show that there wasn’t anyone in there that the voters wanted in
Just goes to show that there was no one in there that the voters wanted in.
And you can guarantee those who moan the loudest about our Councillors, MP’s and those running our local council did not vote !
Must admit I struggled to find information on our candidates, some were just names on paper. You could find who was standing, but little Easily accessible information on what their manifesto / proposals were. Still voted though, so I am in the few that can moan and whinge. Some interesting results tho.
Does “Turn Out” only relate to people actually attending the Polling Stations ?? Or does it include both postal voters and those who attend at the Polling Stations ??
Interesting that Chale, Niton and Whitwell had the largest turn out….Now I wonder why that was!