to get extremely frustrated with people who 'can't be arsed' voting?

[Nancery]

I have unfortunately had, or heard, this conversation a few times of late, most notably with my sister. She works as Bank staff in the NHS (nurse), rents (pays extortionate rent, incapable it seems of saving for a deposit), and is usually the sole earner in her family (fuckwit husband is a plumber 'who can't find work) and has two kids, both under five. She and fuckwit husband appear to actually find it funny they 'cant be arsed' and 'have better things to do' and can't see how voting for anyone, or reading up on things, would be a good idea in their circumstances.
I have since heard a few, colleagues rather than friends, saying similar.
I'm no politics buff but even I can see the importance! Grrr

How does fewer people voting lead to change exactly? If people think that politicians already don't care/are corrupt/are all the same etc., what makes them think that not voting will change anything at all? Voter turnout is usually 60-70%. At what percentage will voter apathy trigger the revolution, how, why and by whom?

Not voting means the same old results as last time, every time. It creates safe seats and sitting politicians because there are people who vote every time, as is their absolute right.

I think the biggest change we need is proportional representation of some kind. But the British public voted against that in recent memory.

I used to be a strong advocate that everyone should vote but recently I've changed opinion to thinking that if someone can't be arsed to actually inform themselves before voting, perhaps it's better they don't vote. An ill-informed vote is just as bad as not voting.

Do you think everyone who votes should know a lot about politics Kid? Genuine question :) As in that case I might be better not voting!

I think everybody who votes should have been on voteforpolicies.org.uk/ and vote for whoever comes out as their top party there. Our country would be very different if they did!

voterpower.org.uk very insighful. And a huge case for proportional representation. Despite the fact that my 'ultra safe seat' saw 43% voting against the winner, he won by a lanalide. My vote here is apparently worth a whopping 0.019 of a vote. Get me, such power, my vote really counts

TedAndLola I agree Vote For Policies is a great site and tool, but I can't help wondering whether the (very surprising!) national results are a little skewed by the target group being somewhat self-selecting.

It did help me decide who to vote for in this election, though, and it wasn't who I thought it would be, either!

MrsCakesPrecognitionisSwitched Wed 08-Apr-15 00:20:45
people are in this misguided mindset that there vote doesn't matter and that they can't change anything

Slightly annoyed at being called misguided hmm.

^Liberal Democrat turnout is negligible in my area - if every single Lib Dem decided to vote Labour, the Tories would still have a clear 30% margin.
If half the previous Tory voters choose to vote UKIP AND all the Lib Dems vote for Labour - the Tories still win. If Labour, Lib Dem, UKIP, BNP and every other non-Tory party pooled their votes - the Tories would still win by a clear 20%.^

The most likely outcome is that there will be a swing to UKIP and BNP, but I'm not sure they can really threaten the Tory 60% of the vote...especially when (anecdotally) it seems to be local Labour voters are turning to UKIP as much as Tories.

As I've said, I will vote but with no hope of making a difference.

If all the people who didn't vote in my constituency last time voted for the same independent then they would have more votes than the winner at the last election.

Feel free to be as annoyed as you like.

The truth very much lies with the cartoon Suffolk posted. I think we need more independent candidates and I do get annoyed with people who go to great effort to complain and then don't actively do anything about it by standing themselves (Russell Brand I'm looking at you)

In a way I feel sorry for some people who do go into politics with really good intent and then find the reality much harder. Its all very well to criticise and its much harder to do things when the money/will power just isn't there to support those views. I don't believe that all politician are greedy self interested individuals - there are a lot of them sadly but not everyone is.

We have an Independent candidate running in our constituency. He would be outraged to hear himself described as a "disenfranchised Tory"!

I think dismissing all Independent candidates without even checking to see what they are standing for - or even if your constituency has one - is as lazy as claiming you can't be bothered to vote because they're all the same.

I suspect these people simply can't be bothered to vote and are looking for any excuse to justify their decision.

Well, it is frustrating but I can see why people feel that way; I vote and I still don't feel that politicians really represent me.

I sometimes think compulsory voting is the only way to go, but there's something about it that goes against my wishy-washy liberal soul.

Red- while i admire your determination, i think it is somewhat simplistic to pin everything on an independent as THE only alternative. In our democracy voters freely choose between lib dems, green whatever. And every independent ive had the option to vote for has NOT represented my views at all! They've tended to be a one-trick pony- anti Europe or whatever. AND low calbre.

Tanith- if that was to me, ive voted in every election. Go to hustings, read ALL election blurb and the independent candidates without exception in my 2 decades pf voting have been disenfranchised Tories. Bet they mostly are. Not saying all. And dont appreciate being called lazy for challenging some rather innocent shall we say, views.

Marmaladedandelions I dunno. Obviously, people don't need a degree in politics but I do sometimes wonder if, instead of voting directly for a candidate we'd be better off getting everyone to vote via one of the online whoshouldivotefor tools. Too many people vote for parties without having the faintest idea what that party really represents.

Obviously, in the real world everyone is entitled to vote for whom they choose but voting for a party just because they've always voted that way is arguably part of the reason why we get stuck with the same old every time.

I have a choice between Tory, Labour, Lib Dem and UKIP. BNP might pull someone out just in time. The party I want to vote for isn't even represented in the constituency. No independents. Genuine question to the people saying we should ALWAYS vote: would you spoil your paper or vote for the least worst of the four (for me, the ones I most closely aligned with on voteforpolicies)?

I'd go for your second choice on VfP after having a read through of their policies in the categories your first choice won. The current system is, sadly, not perfect as many have pointed out.

yanbu

although tbh I am 35 years old and to my shame have never voted....because up till the last lot of twats came in to power I never thought it affected me (awful selfish view I know) ....but I have turned into an right politics geek in the last few years and done lots of research and reading, and I damn well will be voting this time

will be genuinely devastated if Cameron stays in

This will be my first time voting as I have always meant to vote but then not getting round to reading up on policies etc.
been looking into my area, and one party has won every election since something like 1938!
However, they are not the party I want to vote for and I won't vote for them. I have almost decided who I will be voting for, and will still vote no matter how little it counts. Especially as at the last election only around 50% of people in my area voted!

I have always voted am 49 and politically educated and this is the first time I probably won't.

No, of course my remarks weren't personally to you, Moving! Why would you think that? I'd have used your name to address you if they were!

I just get very tired of hearing that "they're all the same", "sick of party politics" excuses when they are most definitely not all the same and there is often an alternative to the main parties.

And spoiling a paper is a wasted vote. They may be counted, but it's virtually a vote for the most popular candidate in your constituency.

It is very high handed and patronising to refer to an individuals choice as an 'excuse' esp if it is anything but and is an informed choice.

Tanith I've voted in a local election where the only 2 candidates for counciller were Conservative and UKIP...

What's a lefty meant to do in that kind of situation

But this is the General Election, Stella! Although I do appreciate your predicament

Noddy, I accept your point and I'm sorry for any offence. Just getting very tired of hearing this from people I know have no interest in politics and aren't prepared to do a bit of research.
When you think of what it cost people in the past to actually get us the vote in the first place, then hear that someone couldn't possibly vote because of the way one person eats, or another's eyes are "funny"...

Where I live it's a safe seat so my vote is usually a protest vote in favour of the party I hate the least.
Council elections are the same - very often only two candidates, on one occasion I recall it was a walkover and the voting was cancelled.
I'd like to see PR and also a box for 'none of the above' then my vote may count for something.
Until then I shall keep on voting and thank my lucky stars that there were women far braver than I to fight for the right to vote.

I don't think independents are the only alternative here. I think that its a good way to give the main parties a kick up the arse though which is why I referred to it.

I do agree about one policy politics generally - but its not done UKIP too much harm either though.

I have to admit to be being slightly disappointed that MNHQ made a joke about standing as they could be a great basis for a new party from a fresh point of view.

I suspect these people simply can't be bothered to vote and are looking for any excuse to justify their decision.

I do have to say there is a lot of truth in this.

Why don't more people challenge the status quo and get organised? It could be by standing for election or it could be by protesting in someway.

The trouble is people don't get off their arses and actually DO anything. They just moan instead because its easy to do.

Tanith yes I am certainly not one of those