Anybody else not voting again?

[RomanyQueen1]

Just that, is anybody not voting and didn't vote last time?

I'll be voting. I completely respect your choice not to vote but that means you have no right to complain about the actions of the government.

Or even the European Union in the case of Thursday's election.

I have voted, my vote was hard won so I'll make the best of the imperfect choices.
It isn't compulsory though so people need to do what works for them.
But if you don't vote you cannot complain about the outcomes.

As a woman, I think it is very important to vote. Other women died for me to have that right.

Plus, no vote = no moaning!

Of course I shall vote. Hell would freeze over before I gave away the right so many women fought for. And my opinion counts. No way I'm hiding in the shadows and saying nothing.

I don’t agree that if you don’t vote you can’t complain. I think not voting can be a message in itself, whether that’s a message that none of the candidates were appealing or stood for your values, that the parties failed to widely spread their election campaigns to a diverse group, that you disagree with the way voting is carried out/ how your vote is represented, that although political parties have changed several times in your adult life you haven’t actually seen any difference to your day-to-day life and have become apathetic. If a lot of people are unwilling or unable to engage in politics then that sends out a very clear message to politicians that the system isn’t working for those people. Surely the solution is to try and make politics more accessible rather than tell people who didn’t vote that their political opinions don’t matter and therefore isolate them from politics further.

The right not to vote is as important as the right to vote.

Why wouldn’t you vote?

There are 20 autocracies in the world, where citizens cannot vote for their leaders

These are:

Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
China
Cuba
Eritrea
Iran
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Laos
North Korea
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Swaziland
Syria
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Uzbekistan

So you're not alone, but as PPs have said people died so that you could have the right to vote. The right to vote is a privilege you should use, even if only to spoil your ballot as a protest.

The problem with not voting out of principle though is that you just get lumped in with the people who can't be bothered or just aren't interested. There is never going to be a perfect party/candidate to vote for. I will always find the best fit for me or least worse option because people (especially women) have fought and died for the right to vote.

If a lot of people are unwilling or unable to engage in politics then that sends out a very clear message to politicians that the system isn’t working for those people.

They won't give a monkeys. Seriously.

Spoiling a vote is preferable (in my eyes) to just not voting at all.

Of course you should vote. Women died for
Our right to vote. And people around the world are still dying for the privilege. It’s important to use it.

Of course I'm voting.
Don't you know anything about how hard fought our ability to vote is ?

Excellent post by Tavannach

Why don’t you just void the vote instead of not voting? People died so everyone could vote in the UK.
There are countries where people are dying now to be able to vote.

I think not voting can be a message in itself

Sure it is honey. And politicians listen to that message all the time. It's huge for them. 🤣

Not voting is not a protest, it is standing by and willingly letting the most vocal candidate claim your vote as his "silent majority". I'm a fan of compulsory voting but with a "none of the above" option.

Voting. I always vote.

If you genuinely think that the Brexit Party are the same as the Greens, then fair enough. But as a pp has said, you have no right to complain about anything.

DH is adamantly refusing to vote on Thursday.

What Tavannach said

I'm voting to keep the real nutters out.
I'm not excited about it.
They're all grim, the lot of them.

Not voting is nothing to be proud of.

I think voting should be compulsory. It is in Australia.

I don't agree with compulsory voting. I think people should vote and am impatient that so many people don't, but it should be their choice.

Of course I'll vote, women fought hard for our right to vote and one died doing so, I'll respect that and exercise my right even if I feel it's a protest vote

Don't vote don't moan

I have a postal vote and I thought very carefully which party deserved by vote.
Then I spoilt my paper by writing one or two words in each box why each party did not deserve my support.
My vote will be counted as spoilt and I will have made my silent protest.