To think that people who can't be arsed to vote are lazy.

I take it as a personal slight for althose people who were killed allowing me to have this vote.

My 17 year old son said to me "I'm not gonna bovver, the're all the same whats the point?"

I told him of the men and women from his own town who has died at Peterloo, i told him of working class people who fought for better working conditions, i told him to think about that the next time he was wearing a hard hat at work and had the RIGHT to sue his employer if their H&S standards were not up to scratch.

It's a duty.

And if you don't consider the election system legitimate, standing as a candidate wouldn't really be consistent with your views, would it.

I always think that "if you don't like it, do it yourself" argument is a bit odd. Like when you say you can't stand Wagner and people say "well you couldn't write a three day opera"

No I couldn't, I wouldn't want to, but why does that invalidate my dislike of Wagner? Same with the electoral system. Sort of. (OK I know I'm stretching it a bit. )

I voted yesterday but....

I knew one of the candidates out of the 10 candidates that we could pick.

I have no idea of the views on any of the other candidates, I looked on the internet and could find nothing, no canvassing was done, no information was sent through the post or pushed through the door. Quite how I was expected to make a decision I don't know.

you could always perswade (sp?) someone who you did trust to stand - the 'entry fee' is only £150 and i'm sure if you stood for a party they would stump this fee.

if everyone said it was impossible, nothing would get done.

maybe that's why you get mainly older/retired people taking up position on councils etc?

[shrug]

you can always act polictical on certain issues like BF (babymilkaction) or environment (FoE or Wen).

i think as a woman it's even more important to vote.

"If you don't like the candidates then you should stand for election."

How stupidly flippant! There is no way I or in fact most other people I know could possibly stand for election. I work nearly full time with a two year old and a shift working partner. I have another on the way. If I was to cut my hours or quit my job to start my campaign to be elected then we would loose our house. Not to mention the fact that I dont want to stand. Just because for this particular election I have not voted does not mean I will not always in future, nor does it mean I have enough policies to appeal to enough people to vote for me!!!

Sorry that comment has really riled me.

he,he, thanks. Cant see it happening though. Maybe I will vote as they have a better structure and maybe I will care more!

dionnelorraine - good luck on your move, i hope you'll get involved with politics over there.

oh and thanks to the government I havnt been on holiday for many years cos of money. I cant see the government changing that for me this year, can you?!!
Australia is much better well balanced country. They dont have half the problems this pathetic country does!

Sorry casbie but you cant change my mind. I am emigrating to Australia soon because this country is a big fat mess! I dont like any of the candidates, as I said, full of fake promises. I have no respect for the government at all. all these years I have NEVER voted and tbh nothing much has changed either. So whats the point. All the polititions are liars and money grabbing toss pots! I have better things that take priority in my life. Politics imo is a waste of time. Yes that may sound 'ignorant' or 'neive' or 'stupid' to you. But thats ok, I dont mind what other people think, each to their own!

joash - I like the "none of the above" option better!

dionnelorraine - even though if you loose your voice politcally?

even if the BNP get in?

even if your child was pulled off the streets because they were a 'terrorist threat'?

the governement dicatates whether you can recieve ante-natle treatment to whether you can afford to go on holiday this year - surely your passionate about that?

if your not passionate about these things, then tell me what your passionate about and i can link into decisions made by government!

I think voting should be compulsory, but that there should be some sort of 'abstainance/no vote' box to tick. I often think more people would take some interest and vote if they had to go to the polling station. Otherwise - those who don't vote have no right to bloody complain.

Yes

Some people don't vote because they don't want to give the stagnant political system we've got any legitimacy.

Perfectly reasonable imo.

I cant be arsed to vote! I hate the government. All parties are crap and full of fake promises. Who ever wins the election wont make a big difference to this country. It will always be in trouble with money, NHS, imagrants etc.. and we will always have to pay way to much tax! So no, I will never vote! No point!!!

Thinking about the candidates though, coz I did have a read through - have to say, dunno if it's because we're in a new build, but had very little info wrt who they were. Got a leaflet about the Tory and one of the Independent candidates, and not the Labour Candidate. No other parties were represented. Really had to dig around for info so could make an informed choice!

I didn't vote yesterday. I went to the seaside instead. I've always voted, but this year I just couldn't be arsed.

I understand the arguments from both sides, but on this occasion I exercised my democratic right to bugger off out for the day.

In my ward, no-one's knocked at my door to canvas my vote. If they can't be bothered, I sure as hell can't.

Also, and I'm not sure how this is going to go down, I don't really think the political system in the UK amounts to real democracy. We vote someone in for a few years, whether at local or national level, and that's it. We aren't consulted on anything after that. They can do what they like under the excuse of their 'mandate.' The Swiss model is much better.

it only takes apathy to let in the BNP - please vote!

look at France, where it's almost acceptable to vote for the National Front.

do you really want your comfortable life turned upside down by these people?

i'm going to go all Yoda speak now...

apathy leads to ignorance
ignorance leads to distrust
distrust leads to hate
hate leads to fear
fear of... leads to loss of freedom and democracy

even now it absolutely enrages me that the police can imprison anyone by dragging them off the streets and hold them for 28 DAYS without due process.

what is the world coming to?

use your vote or loose it.

Women died to get the vote for women.
Women went on hunger strike and chained themselves to railings so that women in this country could vote.
And we can't be bothered to walk to a polling station and exercise our right which was so hard fought for....perlease...

I always vote, whether local or national, sometimes I spoil my ballot. I see spoilt ballots as ticking 'none of the above' and have written that on occasion. If I didn't bother at all, I would be lumped in with that other 38% or so who didn't vote, and how are the politicians to tell that I stayed at home because I was witholding my vote in protest and not because I was too busy/apathetic?

Well DH & I intended to vote! However, things just didn't work out, we both got home from work with just enough time to grab some food before heading out to attend a committee meeting for our church and unfortunately it ran on a bit longer than we thought so just missed the deadline to get to the polling station. Both DH work many miles away from home in very busy jobs so no chance to leave early to get there. I think we probably could make more of an effort(i.e. stopped at the polling station on the way) and if postal voting had been an option (I don't think it was for this one though there has been for other elections) I definitely would have voted. So no, I don't think you are being unreasonable. We are regular voters normally.

Good post Colditz.

I think you are being unreasonable.

I did vote but I don't think I will vote in the general election because I don't believe that any of the parties are competent. I suppose it depends on whether we have a really good local candidate who will make a difference.

Not necessarily lazy but apathetic. I can't stand apathy.

We need to make it compulsory.

In many countries people will queue for hours to vote as they appreciate having that democratic right. In a country like the UK where people have many rights, why don't they take their duties seriously and participate in a democratic society?