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

If you really can't bring yourself to vote or spoil the paper, the only thing left to do is let your neighbours choose who will represent you.
H

tinsel perhaps people would rather vote for a party that actually represents their views? There's nothing ballsy per se about spoiling a ballot.

Competely agree OP. The reason that there is nothing to chose between the policies of the main parties is precisely because they are chasing the votes of the same people - those who vote. Things are never going to change until they have an incentive to listen to all sectors of society. I'm really starting to wonder if compulsory voting is the way forward.

Right now I feel like the best answer with the set up we have is just for more people to vote. Doesn't really matter who they vote for but if more young people, disadvantaged people etc start to vote they will start to matter to the political parties.

To me spoiling the ballot paper shows that I am comitted to democracy and wish to join in but can only choose "none of the above". It's not "ballsy", just showing that I'm not apathetic or unwilling to participate.

I'll do pretty much anything to get rid of the tories because I firmly believe they do not give a shit about anyone except their friends.

That is no basis on which to run a country.

But this time I can't vote. I always vote, but this time I can't. The reason is that I left a relationship a while ago, and the person is violent and abusive, and we are moving house and I cannot take the risk of him finding us again.

So I am not registering to vote. It is awful and makes me very angry but it is the only way to keep us safe.

I always vote. Other women died to get us the vote, I feel it's disrespectful not to use it (unless like Rooners you are unable).

I voted Lib Dem last time, on the basis of their student fees promises, which they abruptly u-turned on as soon as they got in. I've seen how ineffective they are, I won't vote for them again.

So I suppose it'll either be Labour, to try and help oust the Evil Tories, or an independent candidate as a protest vote.

You could look at voting from another perspective, by voting you are legitimising a corrupt system of power which reinforces inequality within our society. Our very participation in this system gives it the authority it needs to continue. By a mass non voting the system loses power and we could restart with a fairer system not dominated by the minority, but with true and fair representation reflecting the true nature of our society. Just a thought.....

I agree, TheGoodLadyWife. Well said.

Personally, although I vote (although I intend to spoil my ballot paper this time), the idea that it's wrong or (always) thoughtless to decide not to gets my goat.

I have a lot of sympathy for what Russell Brand says. There are things fundamentally very dodgy about the ways we all live and are governed (e.g., financial systems to do with banking) which are simply beyond the scope of the political choices we get. To some extent, the politicians are not just over-privileged, hypocritical, dishonest and out of touch but are also no better than puppets with very little power over the really fundamental issues.

(so yes, OP, I think you're being a bit unreasonable ).

Rooners you can register but actively opt out of appearing on the electoral roll. I guess it depends whether you trust the process.

Apparently you can't opt out from appearing on the roll. I rang to ask. You can opt out of the edited roll that is supplied to various companies etc. But not the official one that is kept at the Council offices.

That means that anyone can go down there and ask to look at it, and search through the streets till they find you.

So if they know roughly where you live it would take them maybe an hour and then you are known to them.

I know this as I've done it in the past - it's not that hard.

You could look at voting from another perspective, by voting you are legitimising a corrupt system of power which reinforces inequality within our society. Our very participation in this system gives it the authority it needs to continue. By a mass non voting the system loses power and we could restart with a fairer system not dominated by the minority, but with true and fair representation reflecting the true nature of our society. Just a thought.....

Yip Yip Yip

We do not have democracy, we have an illusion of such. Liberal democracy is limited to representing the class interests of those who have the most social power. Both left and right, or the left/right paradigm is about minor shifts in policy which gives the impression that labour represents the interests of the common person. If they were really to act in our interests then the media/cultural and financial impact upon labour would be such to completely crush it.

I won't be voting. Politics shouldn't be confined to voting, politics is what we all do everyday with the choices we make regarding purchases, charity, activism etc, and how we choose to live. When mainstream politicians talk about falling political engagement, what they really mean is they are panicked because we are refusing to legitimise their system.

Both left and right, or the left/right paradigm is about minor shifts in policy which gives the impression that labour represents the interests of the common person.

Yes, Mini, I agree - the left-right paradigm is at best outdated, at least in the current context. It's a pressure valve to make us feel we're making choices/having an impact, when most of the factors affecting people's lives remain untouched by our current political "choices".

Not voting can be a very considered and reasonable position. Just because people fought for our right to vote, it doesn't mean we have to exercise that right when it means buying into a system which allows our current societal delusions to flourish.

Why should I vote? They're all the bloody same. Liars and thieves and conmen, the lot. Even down to the local level.

My choices of MP were a racist Tory tit who doesn't respond to constituents or an equally bigoted Labour candidate who also doesn't reply to correspondence.
Where I live there's zero point voting anything but Tory anyway, the area is bursting with the affluent 60+ who seem to almost exlusively vote Tory and they outnumber everyone 2 to 1.

And then there are areas that are exclusively Labour and always will be.
What's your point?

You could look at voting from another perspective, by voting you are legitimising a corrupt system of power which reinforces inequality within our society. Our very participation in this system gives it the authority it needs to continue. By a mass non voting the system loses power and we could restart with a fairer system not dominated by the minority, but with true and fair representation reflecting the true nature of our society. Just a thought.....

Or by sitting there self righteously you allow the current government to continue to bully and marginalise the poor and the vulnerable. I don't agree with all aspects of all Labour policies and vehemently disagreed with Blair's warmongering. I do however think that a Labour government is the least worst solution for the excluded.

But, hey if you'd not rather remain unsullied and ideologically pure as people loose their entitlement to housing benefit and are turfed out onto the street...

Compos, I think the point of the non-voters here is precisely that none of the current government options will stop screwing over the poor and vulnerable, that none of them represent real change.

Could hurl the accusations of self-righteousness and purported ideological purity right back at you all... but that's just not cricket, is it?

Apparently you can't opt out from appearing on the roll. I rang to ask. You can opt out of the edited roll that is supplied to various companies etc. But not the official one that is kept at the Council offices

But you can register using a different name, providing your intention is not to defraud AND you are not registered more than once in any name.

Hundreds of my clients over the years have registered under different names for safeguarding reasons and they are breaking no laws by doing so.

I happen to disagree with you clock the Labour party have committed to reversing the bedroom tax and the top down reorganisation of the NHS.

To keep on saying 'they're all the same' is ridiculous as there are clear political/economic differences between the parties.

Tories are making pledges to pensioners, as most of them do bother to vote. Most ordinary people feel disconnected with politics, don't they?

Compos, you don't have to think they are all identical to decide that none of them offers real change or an overall improvement. Even assuming (and it's a leap of faith) that they'll follow through on their promises.

I have voted in every election I was eligible for, local and general. Have had a couple of decent wins (Labour in 1997, a marginal Lib Dem win in a Labour stronghold in 2005) and a major blow (Lib Dem in 2010).

So back to Labour it is - the Tories are never an option and I wouldn't piss on Nick Clegg if he was on fire. But I will always vote for someone instead of BNP/UKIP/other nonsense.

Fortunately, I now live in a constituency where my vote is 2.58 x more valuable than the average UK voter and ripe for a Labour voter (Labour to Tory switch in 2010, 4000 vote lead).

How much is my vote worth?

The three most powerful constituencies are Arfon, Ceredigion and Clwyd West. Your vote is very valuable here. Sorry to those who live in Coatbridge/Chryston/Bellshill....

The one time I didnt vote, it made the news. Beat that

Sock is that the case? Really?

OMG

She did say there was another way to do it, which was to write 'registered elsewhere' on the form and return it like that, but that would involve not voting, and was just to cover the illegality of not returning the form.

Would you be willing to PM me with a bit more info, if you have a minute later? I'd be so grateful but understand if you're tied up.

The one time I didnt vote, it made the news. Beat that

Story?