...to not vote today

[twofingerstoGideon]

Tories have a massive majority here (more than double LibDem and Labour combined vote), They are so complacent about winning they don't even bother to campaign locally: definitely no door-to-door 'can we count on your vote?' stuff going on around here. We have had the same son-of-a-peer MP for fifteen years and prior to that we had another Tory for years on end.

I've always gone and voted anyway, have always considered it a moral obligation actually, but today I'm feeling like I really can't be arsed. I wish I lived someplace where I thought my vote might count, ie. where another party might have a fighting chance of getting in. I like to think that every vote counts and is important, but it's clear that my vote means nothing here.

WIBU to just not bother today?

Oh having said that though - not wanting to vote because you have a preference but are convinced it will lose is not a good reason to not vote.

WopBopALooBop I would strongly say if you don't have the information to express an opinion and would be doing it at random you shouldn't vote!

I believe it's first and second preference (although its looking like Boris will get it on first preference anyway)

IMO if you don't care or don't want to vote for anyone then don't vote, that is your valid right.

If you do have a preference you should vote even if you think it's a lost cause because, for me, it's important to express my preference regardless of whether it will make a difference to the ultimate winner.

My mistake, was looking at out of date OP figures. Second preference will probably be relevant.

YABU. When people don't vote political parties don't view it as 'I don't agree with the winning politician here' they see it as apathy brought about by contentment with the status quo. Not voting isn't a protest - voting for someone else is a protest.

South afriacans fought for the right to vote

Women starved to agin that vote

Black people were kept in chains so they couldn't put the x in the box

In 2012 people set them Selves alight so they have the rights we enjoy today

And op want to encourge not to vetoed shame on you

YWBU. Always use your vote - apathy is a very dangerous thing. Nick Griffin is a very good example.

Nelson Mandela. The people of Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi. The women of this country per 1919. Sure, go ahead and don't bother voting. It's not as if they've always managed the trip to the polling station.

agree with the op somewhat, and I usually vote all the time

WopBop you missed the general election 2 years ago!

But there is always time to find out who you want to vote for. If you know the area ou are in the just get googling - and you should be able to find information about local issues that candidates are campaigning about. Or, if you don't have much time and just want to do it by a party basis, rather than a localised basis, there is plenty of information about what the main parties generally stand for, lots of quizzes that tell you your political leaning! Probably not the most scientific approach but as far as I'm concerned it's better than nothing, and by the sound of it you do want to vote.

And I agree with some of the other posters, people in this country fought for our right to vote - and perhaps more pertinently - there are people across the world who are dying trying to have the rights that we enjoy. It's a celebration of our democratic rights (putting aside personal opinion on first past the post) and I believe everybody who can vote, should. Even if it just to spoil it.

if you can't decide, you can always go and give an unvalid vote. that way it will still be counted.

But if everybody said the same as you, then your vote not counting will be a self-fulfilling prophecy! That's why you must vote. Your vote could count!

how about this, would you prefer another party other than Tory to win this local election? Right then, the best way you can support that party is to vote for them - ok, they might not win, but anything that reduces the Tory majority in your area will mean that it might start looking like it's worth the other parties making an effort, or at least making the local Tories sit up and notice they can't take your area for granted.

Your vote does not mean nothing

If the person you voted for doesn't win, it doesn't make your vote worthless. Every vote does count, even if it is just a count against the winner

Maybe there are hundreds of people in your area all sitting at work/home, thinking the same as you. Maybe if all those people went and voted the MP would not be elected again

nothing changes if nobody votes- please go and do it!

No its fine. Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia et al where just larking about. They loved being force fed those women. Go ahead, waste your vote and their suffrage. Is their sacrifice so easily forgotten?

I live in an area as yours op, where the local party candidate has a job for life, however I am stuck with a labour candidate who probably wasn't up when I voted, we have lived here nearly 10 years and every election we have to search the internet to find out who they are. (they certainly havnt done anything)

I however voted because as long as one person is willing to oppose them, there is hope that they will get the boot!!! One other person has stood against our labour councillor so I voted for them, this time it was ukip!

We do actually plan on moving ...

Op, as Kitty says, try googling Cat and Mouse.

YABU. If you want someone other than the current person to be elected, you should vote.

Even if your preferred candidate gets nowhere near the same number of votes, votes opposing the current candidate shows that they need to do more to stay in and hopefully makes them lass complacent.

And if everyone who said "I can't be bothered to vote because MP x has too big a lead" actually went out and voted, then maybe MP x would be voted out after all.

'I wish i lived somewhere where I thought my vote might count' - of course your vote counts, no more but no less than any one else's. If you choose not to use it, that's your lookout, but don't act like other people have a bigger say than you - they don't

Just wanted to add, people died for right to vote,Tee, NOT for right not to vote. That does not even make sense. They had that 'right' the whole time...

YABU not to vote.

My DH, and many others like him around the country, was up at 5.30 am this morning to ensure polling stations are open. He'll be working until the count is completed in the early hours of Friday, so please use his vote and let him know his work is appreciated.

DrSeuss isn't talking about Tom and Jerry, OP. Seriously, if you don't know this stuff then you need to do some book-learning. If you do know the history then in my opinion you are being very unreasonable.

DrSeuss isn't talking about Tom and Jerry, OP. WTAF does that mean? Dr Seuss? Tom and Jerry?

I knew IWBU - as I said in my OP, I consider it a moral obligation to vote. But it does feel like a wasted vote when you KNOW no other party will ever get elected here. The Tories hold more than 2/3 council seats and LibDems the other 1/3.

I decided to spoil my paper in the end, which felt very strange, but I couldn't in all consciousness vote for any of them. Self-serving bastards one and all.

Thanks fredfredgeorge and aerobreaking. Must do some research.

Sorry OP for barging in on your thread!