Straw poll: Are you voting tactically?

[Hereismyreply]

To explain what I mean by "tactical voting": imagine that you were the only voter in your constituency and therefore whichever candidate you voted for would become your MP. Which candidate would you vote for? Then think about which candidate you actually plan to vote for in real life. Are the two the same? If not, you are clearly voting tactically. It seems to me there are the following possible scenarios:

A. Yes, I'm voting tactically.

B. No, I don't need to vote tactically because the candidate I like best (a) does stand a decent chance of winning, or (b) is the candidate with the best chance of beating the person I really don't want as my MP.

C. No, I'm not voting tactically. The candidate I'm voting for stands no chance of winning, but I live in such a safe seat for one party that I might as well vote with my heart.

D. No, I'm not voting tactically. Even though it's not obvious who will win in my constituency, I am voting for a candidate who has no hope of winning. I'm doing that because as a matter of principle I want to support my preferred candidate/don't feel able to support any of the candidates who do stand a chance.

Think I've thought of all scenarios (assuming you are actually voting)! Which one are you? (I'm B.)

A

A
I've had to have a stern talk with myself as I don't want to vote for either but my choice wouldn't stand a chance in hell here and it's a marginal seat.

Possibly, @soupforbrains - we’re ‘represented’ by Sir Edward Leigh. Dreadful man, appalling voting record, very safe seat.

Very safe Tory seat here with an absolute arse of an MP.

We have choice of Con, Lab, LD or Greens.

Cannot in all conscience vote Tory but all other parties also have certain policies I vehemently disagree with.

C/D. I think 😀

A

A. We're in a two party area really, so voting for either of my preferred choices is a vote for the party I don't want. I'm effectively voting for my third choice every time. One of my preferred choices isn't running in our area anyway so makes it a slightly easier choice this time but I do hover over them before my tactical vote goes in if they're there. I don't like it but there isn't much choice here.

D.... well. potentially C

B

C.

I would vote tactically if there was even the tiniest chance it would make a difference to the result. But there is just no point here.

A

B - Tory safe seat and I'm voting Tory.

B

I'm still between A/B (my vote would in theory be tactical to try and outvote the Tories locally, but is a decent local candidate) or spoiling my ballot. Quite frankly neither the Tories nor Labour nor Lib Dem deserve power.

Vote for a party led by a classist and racist dickhead
Vote for a party led by a delusional antisemite
Vote for a party led by a woman who thinks a penis can be female

What a time to be alive

A

Everyone who says there is no point in voting tactically " as it won't make any difference", how can you be sure ?!

There's a fair few people on this thread who are going to vote tactically so maybe the results won't be as clearcut ?

If your sitting MP has a majority of over 30,000, as mine does, it’s a fair inference that tactical voting will not change the outcome.

...or at least that tactical voting by me will not change the outcome.

Having said that, I don’t believe in defeatism. In a different constituency situation I would use a vote tactically against a “safe” candidate, even if my vote simply chipped a tiny bit off the large majority of the undesired candidate.

But where I live and in line with my overall political views, the tactical vote for me would be for the safe incumbent, and he really doesn’t need me to hold my nose and vote for him, as he’s safe as houses.

Tactically voted against SNP

C. Safe Labour seat, voting Lib Dem.

B. Safe labour seat

A. Marginalish, we'd need a 3% swing blue->red vs 2017 to oust the local Tory bigot so I'm tactically voting Labour. My local candidate appears to be extremely lovely, so that's a big bonus.
Normally I'd vote indie or green to try and stop them from losing their deposits, but stopping the Tories from tearing the country's head off and shitting down the neck hole is rather more important.

No.
I am voting LibDem in a swing Labour/ Tory seat. I usually vote Tory. We had a Labour MP last time who was very good and a Remainer.
My reason is that although this time I don’t want Tory, I can’t bring myself to vote Labour as I don’t agree with a lot of their policies.
At least with LibDem I will be able to sleep at night having voted in line with my beliefs and I might stop them losing their deposit in my constituency.

C

B - I'm in a very safe seat. If I wasn't I would do A.