Elections in the US, the UK and across the longer established democracies are seeing voter numbers falling, often to below 45%. Does it matter? Yes, if governments are to claim that their decisions, both domestically and interntaionally are legitimate, and represent the will of the people of the country. 

But at the same time people are engaging with other people, with brands, with organisations and with government departments in greater numbers as each week passes. 

So where is the disconnect? 

Politicians are wary of social media. They see it as a great way to win votes, but as soon as the election is over, the engagment drops off as they lose interest in their constituents opinions. Rather than see an election as an end point, they will have to start recognising that it is the beginning of an on going conversation with the people they represent. 

Campaigns are still dominated by posters stuck to lamposts. Meanwhile the voter is spending up to 55 minutes a day on Facebook, and following their favoured political journalist on Twitter. 

The election process of schools used as polling stations and counts taking place in the local leisure centre is out of date. The option to vote through the web has to be in the horizon, with fewer stations for those few that don't have access to computers. Or put electronic polling in coffee bars, shops and colleges, multiple points, with touch screen fingerprint controlled voting. 

It is called voter apathy. If you were a brand and no one was buying your products any more would you call it customer apathy? Or would you stop, think and work damned hard to get your customers back? It's about time that the politicians started to think across parties to move into the 21st Century.