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Within Glasgow

Voter turnout at local government elections within Glasgow in 2022

Voter turnout in Glasgow council elections 2022In the 2022 local government elections, voter turnout in Glasgow was 38.4%, which was slightly lower than in the previous council elections of 2017. There were notable differences in turnout by ward. In Victoria Park 50% of the electorate voted and in Pollokshields 48% voted, while in Anderston City and Yorkhill only 28% of the electorate voted.

Voter turnout at Scottish Parliament elections, Glasgow constituencies, 2011, 2016 and 2021

Turnout Glasgow Const SP Elec 2011 2021Voter turnout at Scottish Parliamentary elections has been consistently lower in Glasgow than in Scotland as a whole. However, voter turnout rose across Scotland in 2016 and again in 2021, and in Glasgow turnout has increased in every Glasgow constituency. Voter turnout in every Glasgow constituency was above 50% in 2021, whereas in 2011 turnout in some constituencies was below 40%.  

There has been a greater proportional increase in turnout in Glasgow compared to Scotland, meaning that the gap in voter turnout between Glasgow and Scotland has narrowed.

General Election voter turnout by constituency: 2005 - 2019

Socialcap voter general GLA TREND 2020In 2005, boundary changes reduced Glasgow's ten constituencies to seven. There was an increase in voter turnout in all Glasgow constituencies between 2005 and 2015, but the turnout was generally lower in 2017. However, in 2019 turnout increased again across Glasgow, exceeding the 2017 turnout in Glasgow North and Glasgow South. The highest turnout in 2019 was in the Glasgow South constituency (67%).

Proportion of the total votes won by political party for Glasgow 2001-2019

Voting at Gen Elections GlasgowHistorically, Labour has been the most popular political party in the city of Glasgow. In the 2015 general election, however, support for the Scottish National Party (SNP) increased dramatically at the expense of all other parties, and the SNP replaced Labour as the party most Glaswegians voted for. The SNP has remained the most popular party in the city at subsequent general elections in 2017 and 2019.

Further reading under ‘Voting’