Political campaigns need to inspire people to vote, the question is whether this is best achieved through what is being referred to as "Project Fear" scare tactics, or through hope that change is possible.
But should the Remain campaign and David Cameron be so concerned with turnout for the EU referendum?
Eberhard Bort, Head of the Institute of Governance at The University of Edinburgh and author of several books on the European Union, told Sputnik that a small turnout could favor the leave campaign, as they are the ones "firing up" voters — therefore their supporters are more likely to vote.
"A small turnout might well benefit the Brexiteers because if the silent majority [in favour of remaining in EU] don't think it's important enough, and if the opinion polls say it's safe, that the UK will stay in, then people think, 'I don't really have to get off my seat and go out and vote to stay in the European Union, that will happen anyway and I'm not really that fired up and motivated to go out and vote.'"
Mr Bort compared the situation to the 2014 Scottish referendum, suggesting that a poll which came out just over a week before polling day and which showed the Yes campaign moving into the lead, motivated enough of the quiet No voters to get out and vote. The same could occur in the European referendum.
More results may help show if high #IndyRef turnout was driven primarily by a large number of quiet no voters coming out to keep the union.
— David Connop Price (@DConnopPrice) September 19, 2014
"I think if there was a real danger of leaving — if the polls show Leave to be ahead in the week before the referendum — that might motivate a fair number of people who would not have voted, who then say 'don't be daft, we can't be outside the European union, even the European Union, warts-and-all, is better than Britain on its own,'" Mr Bort told Sputnik.
Very true — Project Fear is relentless on all channels. Total overkill that will lead to voter apathy. #leave https://t.co/m0e6fyobSR
— Watcher (@RoundLike) May 22, 2016
A vote to stay in the European Union is a vote for the status quo, and the status quo is generally less inspiring than the prospect of change. Mr Bort suggested that it's also hard to argue the benefits of the European Union as "what is wonderful is its historical achievements, and that's taken for granted by many."
Turnout is a highly important part of any election — it all comes down to who cares enough to actually go out and vote.
OBV's hard-hitting billboard poster in Camden Market. @saatchilondon #EUreferendum #brexit #bremain #no2eu #yes2eu pic.twitter.com/PhGASGsBRj
— Operation Black Vote (@OpBlackVote) May 26, 2016
In general, turnout is lower amongst the younger population and ethnic minority groups, so its perhaps unsurprising that those are now target groups in the European referendum.
Of course turnout in elections is not only a hot topic in the EU, it's an area causing a great deal of debate in the United States of America right now too…
"We win when voter turnout is high, we lose when it is low."
— Aღanda (@GrnEyedMandy) May 26, 2016
— Bernie Sanders
Um. #maddow pic.twitter.com/Wg15Pwt6xV
