Voting attitudes and behaviour among aboriginal peoples: Reports from 29 Anangu women

Abstract

In this paper we address the issue of lower than average turnout rates among Aboriginal Peoples in remote regions of South Australia. A number of hypotheses have been offered to explain the low voting participation of such constituencies: Some have asserted that Aboriginal Peoples do not, in fact, wish to vote; others have suggested that first order elections generally have low salience for Aboriginal Peoples, thereby depressing turnout while the low political efficacy thesis has also been proposed. We explore whether any of these hypotheses are plausible using data obtained in group interviews with 29 Anangu women. The paper begins by providing some historical background to the development of the Aboriginal franchise after which there is some discussion of the problems of determining turnout levels in remote Aboriginal communities. After assessing the significance of the fieldwork results we close by reflecting on means for stimulating turnout within this constituency.