Topic: Voting at an election

[PurpleHeather]

I am not going to make any remarks about party politics because that is a matter of personal choice.

What I am going to say is

I feel very strongly about the fact that we, in our democratic society are very lax in using the freedom we have of the ballot box.

I agree that the choice is limited  in the UK and that often there is little or nothing gained by most of us, no matter who 'gets in'.

I respect the fact that over the course of time a lot of people all over the world have fought for all of us to have THE RIGHT TO VOTE. many have lost their lives for it.

Out of respect for that. I always vote. To me it is no different from respecting those who died in wars. 

The fight for democratic freedom we take too lightly.

OK, so you think that voting will make no difference to your life (and you are probably right)

 I always vote and  I ask those who say it is 'a waste of time' to make a mess of their ballot paper rather than not vote at all.

I feel sure if enough of us did that it would eventually expose to the parties that there is an area of voters they need to suit.

Personally, I think most people are just too lazy to bother to get off their btm and use the democratic right they are fortunate to have to get to a polling station . Most people just want to complain instead

Am I wrong?

 

[:(]

Am I wrong?

 

No.

[macmac]

I agree I always vote and encourage others to do so .While I'm sure it makes absolutely no difference ........... :(

[Ninnyscrops.]

If you don't vote then you have no right to moan!

Ninny

PS I only once spoiled my ballot paper on purpose and that was for the Euro MP elections and I'd like to know how many were spoiled, but they don't tell you that do they.

[gwynnethmary]

There are millions of people throughout the world who would love to have the opportunity to vote for their chosen method of government.
As a woman I would feel very ungrateful to those who fought for my right to vote if I didn't use it.
Therefore I will be voting at the next election, even though I, like many others , often feel confused about which way TO vote!

[zigzig]

There was a decent bloke, an MP who had a column in the Daily Mirror, Joe Ashcroft was his name.

He once said something I wont forget. (In those days, you must remember, we did have industry and manufacture and council house tenants did not have the right to buy)

The Ordinary working man ( he would have included women if they were equal then) Confuses the political parties thus:-

At the General Election they vote Conservative to keep down Income tax
At the Local Elections they vote Labour to keep the council house rent down.
At the Union Elections they vote Communist to get the best wage deal.

Indeed we vote for what suits us personally at the time. Times have changed but personal values do not.

I always make it a point to vote too and get annoyed when people make excuses not to.

[ACE]

I registered for a postal vote a few years ago. We do not miss any nowadays even if I am working away.  Voting is far too important to ignore.

[manicscousers]

Always vote, always will  ;D

[saddad]

I've been voting ever since Maggie got in the first time... don't think I've ever missed a local or National Election... equally I don't think I've ever actually elected anyone.... but it's very important to vote if only to make a "minority report" to prevent them thinking they have a "mandate"...   :-\

[Spudbash]

Some of us really value our vote: My mother is 87 and in hospital after suffering a stroke two weeks ago. She can barely move her right arm or leg or get out of bed and her speech is seriously affected. But when I asked her, a couple of days ago, whether she would like a postal vote, she said, loudly and clearly: "Yes, I do."

My eighteen-year-old daughter is equally proud of her franchise and it's fantastic to watch her researching the parties and making her choice. She became even more motivated when I told her what my mother once said to me, that her vote carried exactly the same power as Gordon Brown's vote, or David Cameron's.

We all have the power to elect a new government. What is sad is that some people seem to think they're powerless. It ain't true.

[Old Central]

PS I only once spoiled my ballot paper on purpose and that was for the Euro MP elections and I'd like to know how many were spoiled, but they don't tell you that do they.

Ninnyscrops

IIRC if you look at the official returns on your council website you will find the number of spoiled ballots provided by the returning officer.

OC

[froglets]

I'm definitely in agreement with PurpleHeather et al.  I realised that when my grandmother was born, she would not have had the expectation of being able to vote & it was such a sign of how women were treated as their husband's lesser in what was then, living memory.  My mum votes the way my dad told her to vote and still does even though he's been dead 5 years.  For me it's all tied up with equality and value and as someone said, if you don't vote, you can't complain.

I also signed up for postal voting when I was away a lot for work.  The advantage now is that as soon as the postal votes are issued, I can get rid of all the canvassers by telling them they're too late, it's in the post!

[Digeroo]

I think it is important to vote.  But we are in a very very safe Tory seat so we get ignored.  No signs, no canvassers, nothing.   ::) ::)  All we will get is a set of one page flyers delivered to every house.

Our MP lives about as far away in terms of travelling time from the constituency as he can get without falling into the sea, and hardly ever visits and if you write to him you get a rather simplistic or fatuous answer. 

I do not think he fiddled his expenses I would like instead to see his time sheet so see just how long he actually works as an MP.  From his website he has make all of 7 speeches in the house in the past six months.

I would just like to feel that my vote counted for something. 

[saddad]

" Don't vote it only encourages them" was a piece of graffitti on the side of a house in Leeds in the early '80's... so nothing new there then...  :-X

[gp.girl]

" Don't vote it only encourages them" was a piece of graffitti on the side of a house in Leeds in the early '80's... so nothing new there then...  :-X

 :D :D :D

We are marginal and there's been a big row about local housing so I got our current Conservative MP on the doorstep a couple of Saturdays ago.....so I think I'll vote Lib Dem ;D

Always vote, you might help someone get their deposit back  ;)

[Baccy Man]

My local butchers permanently have political signs in the window.

[betula]

How true LOL  ;D

Nearly all of them have had their snouts in the trough.

With respect to the Pankhurst's I am afraid I can not vote for any of them.

A vote has to be for someone or something you believe it.

No one does my type of politics anymore  >:(

[Mr Smith]

Watching  'Tweedledum and Tweedledee' last night and  with the other puppy dog thrown in, It's bloody FIxeddddddddd, ;D

[Georgie]

There are millions of people throughout the world who would love to have the opportunity to vote for their chosen method of government.
As a woman I would feel very ungrateful to those who fought for my right to vote if I didn't use it.

Yes I agree.  I always vote too and encourage others to do the same.

G x

[Ninnyscrops.]

PS I only once spoiled my ballot paper on purpose and that was for the Euro MP elections and I'd like to know how many were spoiled, but they don't tell you that do they.

Ninnyscrops

IIRC if you look at the official returns on your council website you will find the number of spoiled ballots provided by the returning officer.

OC

Thank you for that, after a bit of navigation I found I was amongst the 12,002 spoiled slips out of 2,219,239 that voted, so a drop in the ocean way back in 2004, but at least I "turned out".

Ninny