To be surprised at the number of people revealing their votes

[Marmiteandjamislush]

In media and in real life. I always thought it was rude to ask and to tell, voting is private.

No, that's what the older generation led you to believe. What's wrong with asking and telling? I understand some people dont want you to know and that is fine, their choice. But really, why does it have to be a secret?

I'm a Yes btw :)

To me keeping your vote a secret used to be all about not being able to be bought off by whichever upper class Tory owned you, your village and the factory you worked in.

Now, not so much.

I never knew how my parents voted when I was wee. Nothing wrong with sharing how you voted, however, there is also nothing wrong with wanting to keep it private.

In a democracy, it is fine for people to choose whether or not they want to tell others how they voted or not.

I never tell. It spoils the surprise if everyone knows the result beforehand.

Hmm. Unless you have a huge network, I can't see how you can predict a vote based on how people you know are voting!

Don't people just say whatever they think the person asking wants to hear?

Perhaps it's a social convention in my family/ circle of friends and acquaintances, most people I know would be really offended if you asked or told how you voted.

Corporate: historically the Whigs were the factory owners whilst the Tories owned the village! Sorry to sidetrack

I don't know why it is offensive to be asked your political opinion?

Marmite - are you in Scotland?
Sorry if you are and this is patronising but for those of you not here you just can't imagine how different this election has been. There has been so much discussion. Real discussion, about everything. Open public meetings everywhere have been packed out. I'd say about 80% of people have "come out" and said what side they finally settled on.
I would agree with you normally about other elections and about party politics but this isn't party based. Many many yes voters are not snp supporters.

To be honest the open refreshing conversations about what matters to people and what kind of society we want to live in has been the best thing about this whole process.

wigornian I bow to your superior knowledge

I get annoyed by this here in the US, too. It's a secret ballot, I find it very rude when people ask. I'm registered Independent here - so neither of the two major parties - and I don't vote by party; as a result, when people of either side ask me and I decline to tell them, they then rib me for presumably voting for the "other side", when my silence doesn't mean that at all.

museummum that's a great post, you're absolutely right.

I hope we don't go back to being dismally demotivated, bored and uninspired. In the event of a No vote I'm clinging to that as a back up thing to be happy about.

Just because someone tells you how they voted doesn't mean it's the truth...

What museumum said

Traditionally in my family growing upqwe'd have lots of lively discussion and debate about politics but thinking back I can't really remember ever knowing who mum and dad voted for. I just knew that it was never tory!

However the referendum has blown all that out the water. It's been spoken about everywhere.

I'm in the US and in my circle of friends we all talk about who we voted for. Though to be fair it really doesn't matter since both side get nothing done equally as well.

As long as you're not starting a debate about it or causing rifts, I don't see what the issue is. Surely as adults we can learn how to agree to disagree while still getting along.

Not in Scotland no.

I just think it's on a par with asking what people earn, sexual preference, marital status. Rude, in other words. Like I said, just my experience. lettertoherms seems to feel similarly, so I can't be that weird.

I wouldn't ask, but I don't have a problem telling.

I don't think their is an etiquette precedent with this one.

As we keep getting reminded, it's not a general election.

I want to know which way it's going, but I can't tell. Then dh said that some bookies have already paid out on 'no'?

The bookies paying out on a couple of "no" bets was a very clever move on their part, 100% advertising and 0% political knowledge.

I would never ask - far too personal, it would be like asking someone how much they earn

Don't be daft, they can't possibly have paid out, the polls haven't even closed!!

They may have stopped accepting bets on 'no'. Maybe that's what your dh was told?