be completely honest

Women died to get you the vote - it is your responsibility. And voting isn't for the politicians - it is for us! You lose your right to moan or complain about anything the government does if you didn't even try to influence the result - that is a great motivator for me!

Nope. I'm voting!

no. voting is a privilege. not voting says absolutely nothing, it's not a 'statement', it's a 'get out of jail free' card for the major parties and all their crap.

don't believe the bollox that you have to vote 'tactically' or it 'doesn't count'. even votes for non-winning parties have a meaning - look at how worried everybody gets about the BNP vote share. the stats are pored over very thoroughly by the big boys and increasing share means a great deal to parties like the greens, even if they have no hope of actually getting a seat for years to come. I'm still voting green altho the environment has completely dropped off the radar - and that's why i'm doing it. it's the only way of showing that i believe it's a hugely important issue.

it's not the vote that counts. It's the system, it's real choice that counts. In the Soviet Union they had votes where you could vote for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. There'd be no point in turkeys voting for Christmas.

noddyholder, when you say "they're all the same", what's the one thing that you think none of the parties is addressing? (OK, maybe more than one thing, but what's the single most important thing to you that they're not saying anything about/don't think they'd do anything about?

NO.

Already voted by post.

I've already done mine by post, its not easy to choose (like the comment about pile of shit v pile of vomit) - but women died so I could vote. So I do.

DH and I disagree on politics but part of me is hoping his party gets in just so I don't have to listen to him moaning for the next 4 years and I can have a turn telling him how craply HE voted for once!!

wel, there really isn't much to separate the big two is there? essentially the same with fairly minor tweakings...

and i am in a conservative safe seat, so voting conservative might highlight the current inequity of the constituency lines...though i wish i was in a less safe seat, then we'd see a rather more motivated MP as the result. the local 'legalise cannibis' guy is always an option , so he keps his deposit. In a way, a vote for any other party decreases the %age share gained by the BNP and UKIP, so there's some value in that.

or maybe just turn up and see if there's anything that appeals. Or not.

I would never not vote, it's too important.

Is there really no local issue that you can make your mind up on?

I think some of the boundaries have been changed in Labour's favour. But essentially the system suits the two big parties. Elections are decided in a handful of marginal seats. Votes in other seats have no real bearing on who gets elected. It disenfranchises the public, which is why last time 40% of the public didn't think it was worth participating.

they are so desperate to continue with the cosy charade, that Labour's Peter Hain and Geoff Hoon have been advocating that we should all be forced to vote, as in Austalia. This suits them because they can then pretend that everything is hunky dory, all the citizens are happy, and democracy is great. The Tories are against this, because in a free society you are entitled not to vote, to withdraw your support from any of the parties, to show them what you think of them. However much they would like to, they can't march you down to the polls to approve some banana republic style dictator.

Sadly, the Monster Raving Loony candidate is in a neighbouring constituency.

Our Tory MP is a twat.

I always always vote. I really feel we owe it to the women who got us the vote.

FWIW my new constituency (I was in a Labour one) will be won by the hideous Tory candidate. I am not very keen on the Labour man either tbh but will be voting for him.

Would be tempted to vote Green but sadly not an option.

I'm in a true blue constituency, but not only am I still voting LibDem, I've actually been out with leaflets for them (1st time ever!). I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't vote, plus which, I feel if I vote, I have the right to bitch endlessly when the party I didn't vote for inevitably get in and mess the country up.

I'm tempted because it the conservatives are a certainty for this constituency. It's all rather pointless.

not voting does send a message that does "teach 'em". They hate low turnout figures because it lessens the mandate to rule. Spoiled ballots count as turnout and are therefore worthless. Low turnout spells a crisis and exposes the sham, and it may just one day force them to introduce real democracy with a proportional voting system. The only other way is to hope that the Liberals hold enough power to change things, but who knows if that will happen.

what aspect of the system don't you believe in?
what would you like instead?
why don't you just vote Green?
If you don't want to vote then at least spoil your ballot paper because if everyone did that voters at least couldn't be accused of apathy - you would have demonstrated you were prepared to put the effort in to express your view, even if your view is that they should all f* off.