“Voter apathy was and will remain the greatest threat to democracy”— Hazen Pingree (Governor of Michigan, 1887-1901)

I have lived in my family home on the corner of Court Street and Angle Street, diagonally across from the Progressive Labour Party headquarters, Alaska Hall, for many years of my life. I was there the night on November 9, 1998, when Opposition leader Dame Jennifer Smith led the party to its historic first victory over the United Bermuda Party to win the government, capturing 26 to 14 parliamentary seats. Thousands of Black supporters gathered on Court Street as far as the eye could see to celebrate that change. A wall-to-wall crowd of people from the doors of Alaska Hall to as far back as Dundonald Street and beyond.

The PLP has maintained power almost consistently since then, losing the government briefly to the One Bermuda Alliance for one term in 2012, only to regain the reigns the following election. The election before the most recent this week, saw the PLP hold a huge 30-6 majority, leaving many to question if such a small opposition bench would make for a healthy democracy. Some have argued that before this week’s election there has been no real opposition.

The election was yet another historic and record-setting one with more than 100 candidates entering the race — a clear indication, perhaps, that some folks were looking for a change. Real change was clearly not on the cards. The PLP retained power for the second successive time, losing five seats to the OBA — if you include Vance Campbell having crossed the floor and retaining the faith of voters in Smith’s West.

Despite the unprecedented number of candidates, neither the Free Democratic Movement nor any independent candidate came close to challenging the status quo. What did change, though, was the size of the crowd outside the PLP headquarters on the night of the “victory”. No longer was there a large wave of excited supporters, but a subdued and relatively small handful.

Clearly, the PLP no longer seems to attract the younger grass roots supporter. Perhaps its core support of older voters is ageing away. Time will tell.

Congratulations to the PLP for its victory. I guess it has earned bragging rights for maintaining its hold on government. The OBA can take pride in reducing the Government’s huge margin but generally both sides of parliament and all right-thinking Bermudians should be deeply concerned that nearly half of registered voters chose to stay away from the polls.

The important questions we should be asking are who and why did they choose not to vote. Was it a conscious choice? How old are these non-voters? Are they still on the voter registration list, but have migrated like a number of people I know?

I think almost every Bermudian knows at least one friend or family member who has left seeking a “better life” or “greater opportunities”. That so many failed to get to the polls might be a sign of a growing malady affecting much of the Western world since 1990 … voter apathy.

As an example, the turnout in the 2022 General Election in the Crown Dependency of Jersey was down from 42.3 per cent in 2018 to 41.6 per cent. Some of the reasons cited for the downturn included:

1, People feeling their vote was irrelevant

2, Confusion and disconnect with the political system

3, Perceived calibre of candidates

4, No discernible difference between candidates, politicians and political parties

Whatever the reasons, the powers that be here must make serious efforts to investigate and ascertain why, and do what must be done to change this worrying trend.

I suspect research will find that many who failed to participate in this last election are young, first; perhaps second-time voters who feel for whatever reason alienated or not part of the general society. Many others who have voted before are simply no longer interested and don’t feel that the process benefits them. Not good! We need the data!

Those on the fringes of society, those not engaged, will surely become an issue that may negatively affect us all in the future.

• Ashfield DeVent is a political commentator who was formerly a Cabinet minister in the second Progressive Labour Party government