Mobilisation or Marginalisation? Neighbourhood Effects on Muslim Electoral Registration in Britain in 2001

Competing theories of political participation predict varying levels of engagement among minority groups according to the composition of the locality. For example, some previous research has shown that electoral turnout among minority groups tends to be higher in areas where those groups are concentrated. However, there has been little or no similar evidence pertaining to electoral registration. Using data from the 2001 general election in England and Wales we find that Muslim registration levels are higher in predominantly Muslim areas, giving credence to the argument that minority electors are mobilised through social connectedness and community networks, rather than marginalised through deprivation and segregation.