to think your vote matters - but only in some constituencies

[OrlandoWoolf]

Important to vote.

Nice advert telling people your vote matters.

When John Major stood in Huntingdonshire, my vote made no difference at all. He had a massive majority.

Exactly Captain, it is no coincidence that the current Tory government has fallen over itself to stuff money in pensioners' pockets when pensioners are disproportionately likely to vote and disproportionately likely to vote Tory.

If younger people want a fairer slice of the cake, get out and vote every last woman and man jack of us. If there's enough of us voting they'll have to start addressing generational equality instead of relying on the grey vote. That's why Russell Brand's don't bother voting kids shtick is dangerous. Cos the kids' granddad and grannies willwill v and the parties will tailor their offering accordingly.

There is absolutely no point in voting. The same establishment will be in power whether you vote or not and regardless of which party "wins".

Avoitre then clearly you should count yourself lucky that you aren't poor enough to have been on the receiving end of things like the benefit cuts AOL or the bedroom tax. Because those things have made a real fucking difference to the poorest in society. Introduced by a Tory government.

Saying they're all the same is a copout by those who haven't felt the full force of the coalition policies and don't particularly want the hard work of exploring the ideological and practical differences between the parties and find it easier to wallow in lazy, comfortable cynicism.

It is a fact that some votes matter more than others - this is the result of FPTP. You can argue that FPTP delivers the best form of government but you cannot argue that it delivers the fairest form of government.

30% of seats in the UK haven't changed hands since 1950 and only once since then (1997) has more than 15% of seats changed in one election. Most votes are wasted - and this will never change without electoral reform.

We're in a marginal, and we have had a deluge of propaganda already- campaign hasn't even official started yet.

It's nice to be in a constituency that matters for once (we moved recently).

I'm quite excited about the election - we've recently moved to a seat that's Tory-held, but their majority is less than 200 and the incumbent MP is standing doend. Should be a good chance to cut their number of seats down by one!

doend = down!

I also take umbridge with the idea that your vote only counts if it's for the person who wins that seat. Your vote counts as much as everyone else's, it's just more people disagree with you than agree. However, there are very few "safe" seats that get 100% turn out, agree there would be massive changes if it wasn't just pensioners voting. (Many countries fine you if you don't vote, the Tories would never bring that in as young people apathy wins them many a 'blue-grey' seat)

I live in a very safe labour area, our mp isn't the worst and isn't the best. It will always be labour. So many people round here have always voted labour and that's the reason they always will. Its the same in a lot of areas with different parties. I still feel my vote counts even though it won't be labour.

im in scotland......theres not many "seats" in the general election, especially ones currently held by labour, my constituency would be regarded as a safe labour seat up until now

i have to say i cant wait for this election mainly in the hope to see a lot of labour folk getting their arses handed to them

im a geek - even if a seat is held im interested in the numbers and the swing

According to Wikipedia, there have only been three constituency elections in the last 100 years where one person's vote determined the outcome. Other than those elections, every other vote has been a wasted vote. So much for democracy!