Local elections allow local communities to set the political agenda for their local area.
The more people that vote, the greater the democratic legitimacy of the elected local authority and the greater its scope to claim a mandate for its actions. Notwithstanding their apparent importance, the recent record of participation at English local elections has been poor. Moreover, turnout levels have recently shown signs of dropping sharply from an already low base. Declining participation is also an issue internationally, and not solely at the sub-national level. One of the key objectives of the Government is to enhance local democracy through both representative and participative means.