To vote or not to vote

Poll shows that many construction workers are choosing not to vote in tomorrows election.

Leading online construction publisher, On The Tools, commissioned a poll on Facebook and Instagram, to establish how many people within the construction industry would be participating in the 2019 General Election.

31% of those polled on Facebook, and a staggering 49.5% of those polled on Instagram, stated that they would not vote.  

On the Tools is the largest online construction based community in the UK, with over 3.4 million followers on Facebook, and over four hundred thousand (400,000) on Instagram. The On The Tools community is part of Electric House – a social media and publishing agency based in the West Midlands.

A staggering 26,900 people completed the poll on Facebook, where they were asked the question “Are you going to vote in the General Election?’.

2,056 people responded to the On The Tool’s poll on Instagram, where they were asked “Are you voting in the General Election?”.

• 69% of respondents on Facebook said Yes, that they would be voting in the General Election
• 31% of respondents on Facebook said No, that they would not be voting in the General Election
• 5% of respondents on Instagram said Yes, that they would be voting in the General Election
• 5% of respondents on Instagram said No, that they would not be voting in the General Election

Lee Wilcox, CEO for On The Tools said: “I’m not surprised by the huge amount of apathy revealed by our polls, the reason for us asking the question was to highlight just how widespread voting apathy has become within the construction community.

“It’s clear from the comments we receive on Facebook and Instagram just how disengaged people are, resulting in such a high percentage of them choosing not to vote. With the construction industry accounting for a sizable chunk of the UK’s population, and around 6% of the UK’s GDP it’s such a big issue that people within the construction community feel both so let down and unable to make a decision, or equally feeling as though their vote will make no impact.

“I’d urge politicians to try to better engage with the boots on the ground.”

The On The Tools Facebook page has an 82% male following, and 65% of the community are within the 25-34 age bracket. The On The Tools Instagram account has a 92% male following, and 69% of the community are within the 18-34 age bracket.