To post every day until the next election to remind you to VOTE.

[NorthernLurker]

Seeing as the government appear to have kicked off their campaign I thought now was the time to start nagging talking about voting.

This weekend's talk about pensions shows in a nutshell why we need to vote. The government - any democratic government worldwide - is swayed by the need to please those they think will vote for them. So if you're not getting what you want from this government you need to vote because it is only when everybody like you votes that the wind will change in your governmental favour.

Register to vote, talk to your friends and family about voting, create some momentum and you will see change. The election of 2015 could see the biggest turn out from women under 40 ever. Anything is possible. There's been talk in the past about the 'mumsnet' election - well wouldn't it be great if that was a reality. Not in the sense of posters all voting one way, that's not the point. The point is wouldn't it be great if every user of this board voted? If every user of this board made their voice heard. It can happen.

And I'll be posting every day until it does

YANBU.

The importance of the right to vote, regardless of who you vote for or whether you spoil your vote, should be constantly reiterated.

If someone says 'there's no point voting they're all the same' I usually think:

A) They are too lazy or too stupid to engage with the political process and take pride in their ignorance.

B) They are rich enough to be insulated from the assault on lower incomes/cost of living increases of the past half decade, but not rich enough to benefit from cuts to the top rate of tax, so drift along in their complacent bubble.

Neither of which are good enough reasons not to vote.

There is nobody to vote for.

I live in a clear majority area, I've always voted (since I was 18) but last year my MP really pissed me off. He is a prize prat. I politely wrote to him asking him about his policy on a local issue and he essentially wrote back saying (although in a lot more words) he didn't care, didn't have a stance, wasn't dedicating any time to the issue. Regretted voting for him.

The MP for a neighbouring constituency has been fantastic and would have my vote (different party).

There is no MP in my constituency I would vote for. I can spoil a ballot but isn't that just a waste of time?

Labour wrecked our economy with borrowing and failing to put anything aside for a rainy day.

Tories don't seem to know how to clean up the mess - they said their austerity measures would be fair but are penalising the most vulnerable and that the measures would last 3 years (from 2011) but are now talking about cuts in 2017.

Politically I am leaning towards UKIP whose candidates are actually from the real world. I have heard (through MN) though that they are not as pro-disability rights as they might be.

Spoilt ballot papers - while they do not "count" as a vote for a candidate or party or yes/no (depending on the type of election or referendum) - are included in the final totals of votes cast.

While there isn't a 'none of the above' option to put your cross next to, a spoiled ballot paper is the only way to show that you want to vote but do not wish to vote for any of the available options.

If everyone who felt unable to vote due to a lack of a suitable option went out and spoiled their ballot paper, it would send a massive signal that there was mass discontent with the system as it stands. It would make a huge point. It wouldn't change any election outcomes of course, but would spark debate.

Ballot-spoiling is silly and does nothing. All they do is ignore them. Then again, all the politicians seem to do is ignore people anyway. I believe wholeheartedly in voting, I think it's so important. But I also see the problem when you have idiots like Nick Clegg who makes 'vows' to win the election, and then he promptly forgets about them and does the opposite. I hope that man loses his seat and disappears into obscurity where the bastard belongs.

Bah, grumble grumble.

And those of you that don't vote, you'd all be quick enough to complain if only aristocratic men were allowed to vote, wouldn't you? But you won't get off your arses and help cause a positive change. So there.

Spoiling the appear us not a waste of time because

They do all get read as they are put in a pile got the candidates to look through- some are ones where a person has say put a cross in a box then scribbled it out and chafed it. Think of a good message though!

If you have voted, you will be part of the voter profile for your area, so when the party is analysing the voting population they will see that there is a rise in parents say, and this influences development of policy.

Candidates get a copy of the electoral role before the election showing who is registered, and after showing who has voted, and parties who are established will have put this info into their database over years. They put this together with other data about types of people living in certain roads , just like marketeers. They also target different areas with different messages if they are really good .

In my area for example there are loads of old people who vote, and loadsof students who don't. In the last GE I stood and naively spent a lot of time engaging with students, and others who were not registered trying to get them to register. On Election Day there were bus loads of old people and no students at all.

I learnt from this that you can't achieve anything unless you get in, and some groups barely vote whilst others always vote so there is no point courting those who are not registered or don't vote, you won't get in.

Funnily the same people who don't vote will sign petitions and write automated or even their own letters to MP's . Depending on your mp, some will check you against their database to see if you are a voter before deciding how/whether to reply/act on your letter.

Is it really a true democracy when there are only two realistic choices? Both of whom are interested more in their own gain, smoke and mirrors and propaganda?

It's all just a game to them, and we're the little pieces doing all the hard work for them. Whenever I see a bit of PMQT all I see is a bunch of overgrown schoolchildren booing and hissing. Quite apt perhaps, for the pantomime that it is. I'm sure there are some MPs who are in it for the right reasons, but something tells me that they aren't the ones that get to be PM.

YY to a PP who said whatever happens, the government always gets in.

"Depending on your mp, some will check you against their database to see if you are a voter before deciding how/whether to reply/act on your letter."

That's quite disturbing really.

The more people who vote, the more choices you will have.

Post for today countdown clock

I would gladly vote but unfortunately I am not allowed...

I have lived in the UK for 14 years, I own a property, am married to a Brit and my DD is British. I have always worked in my UK time, I have been in my job for 10 years, I have a commitment to the UK....

but... I am from an EU country, so no real need to get naturalised and unfortunately I don't have a spare £874 pounds lying around...

There should be a way to allow people to vote when they have a commitment to the UK... Irish citizens and other Commonwealth countries are allowed...

I spoilt my paper for the last council election. I felt strongly that I should vote, but didn't want to vote for any of the main parties as they had all contributed to screwing up the city I live in. I wrote a list of reasons on the ballot paper. Quite a lot of people did. I've counted at elections before and any votes not obviously for a candidate were reviewed by the party agents.

It was reported in the local media. The turnout rate and the spoilt paper rate was also listed. If people don't turn up to vote politicians can choose to spin this into a message that people are so happy with the status quo they don't feel the need to turn up. If there is a high proportion of spoilt papers (and obviously spoilt as a protest, not just people unable to fill in the ballot paper) it sends a clear message that a significant proportion of the electorate don't want any of the candidates. I've heard suggestions of a 'none of the above' box, think that could be an interesting addition to ballot papers.

bflat an interesting story in the last election.

I decided to email the LibDem, Tory and Labour candidates from my ward asking about foreigners being allowed to vote after a certain time (10 years for example)...

The LibDem guy emailed me back the same night at 11pm, not making sense and seeming a bit drunk...

The Labour MP replied by letter a considered reply a week or two later...

The Tory never bothered...

But who should people vote for if they don't agree with any of the options?

I don't think any of the political parties are up to doing anything for the country other than serving themselves. I believe the system is at fault.

Is it better for me to vote for someone I totally disagree with than not vote at all? Where's the democracy in that?

It's too easy to blame people who don't vote for the problems with democracy.

YANBU, I will be voting.

My DH is a senior academic in politics and I think it would be divorce if I didn't.

I am hoping for a Lib-Lab coalition (scraping the barrel, but it's the best hope we've got). If enough people don't vote, those who vote for UKIP and BNP might succeed getting them into government.

Anything (almost-see above) has to be better than the current government so I am grateful for your "encouragement", Northern, even if it's only to get those Tories out.

BTW, I live in a predominantly Tory area and all I ever see at election time are Tory posters; How do I get hold of some Labour ones, even if it's just to put in my window?

marking my place.

agree with those who say you have to vote for a shower of shite or a shower of shite

but the current shower of shite is persecuting the poor like not seen since thatcher, I actually believe he is worse than thatcher and that's saying something

Did anyone see the South Park episode where they were voting: "It's always a choice between a giant douche or a turd sandwich".

Tinytear which was the sitting mp? The mp has more resources at election time, candidates will fall into 2 categories, ones who are really going for it as they have a chance, maybe taking time off work, going without an income, but with local volunteer support. Then there is the 3rd party candidate, who knows they have no chance, but is putting their name down because they want people to have the chance to put a cross by their party . They may well be overwhelmed by correspondence and not have any time , money or local support to reply to letters, speak to people, leaflet etc.

Seff if you don't vote, you are allowing a vote for the party you least agree with not to be cancelled out . You are effectively endorsing the winner. You could support an independent, ( you prob won't hear about them until the last few weeks and they may be worse than your worst nightmare) or support the party closest to your views, or the opposition for the party you dislike, or spoil the ballot stating what you would vote for, or stand yourself.

bflat the MP was labour. the Tory guy and his crew were stalking the tube station one day and I mentioned they didn't reply to emails

Britain doesn't have the balls for the majority to spoil their vote. A nation of moaning sheep.

How will me voting for a party I don't agree with help anything? If everyone who didn't agree did that, it would be seen as a victory for democracy. Someone up thread said that if more people voted, we'd have more choice. But if everyone voted, the parties would assume that everyone was happy with thing the way they are. I think the entire system is flawed, and for that reason, I wouldn't stand myself.

I would like to believe that spoiling the ballot would make an actual difference, but again, I have so little faith in the system that I just can't imagine that would truly be the case.

I will also always vote even though, right now, I truly can't stand any of them.

It's the younger generation that will not vote in their droves, sadly. I have two nieces and a nephew all eligible to vote for the first time and none of whom can see the point. They all got their degrees, are still living at home, working in minimum wage jobs on zero hours contracts, massive burden of student debt hanging over them and think all politicians are liars and conmen.