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

I wish that women who don't vote realised what the suffragettes gave up for them - lives in at least one instance.

I vote every time because of that (even scraped myself out of bed when my newborn was 3 days old after a home birth).

I'm not sure what I'll do this time. I was planning on vote spoiling (safe seat) but I don't want to let UKIP in. Either way I don't get a representative say again and I can fully understand those I know that don't vote in safe seats.

There's just no way of affecting anything through voting with this current system, which seems so counter to how democracy should work in my opinion. I'd love to have some way (other than writing to the bloke that gets in and being told essentially that none of my views count as they don't match with party ideals) to have my views represented.

Doubt that will happen though.

I admire what the suffragettes did as they were the activists of their day and fought for their beliefs but that does not mean we have to be guilt tripped every election as people fight for their beliefs and in some cases perish all the time and I don't feel obliged to follow their lead if I don't truly believe it. I support the right to protest and think it should be encouraged but I won't feel bound by any of it however noble. It was a fight to give women equal status as men in voting which to me implies choice they fought so that those who want to vote can. Same as men.

I can see why though as for some the conservative / labour / con dems periods have not really left them feeling any better than the rest once you exclude global financial events.

I previously could only stomach a tactical lib dem vote because of tuition fees.

Our local councillors are toothless in the face of poor performance from privatised services.

The system needs change and or a "non of the above / recall option".

I wish that women who don't vote realised what the suffragettes gave up for them - lives in at least one instance.

That's very patronising. Many women who don't vote are fully aware of what the suffragettes did. They fought for our RIGHT to vote, not our compulsion to vote even if we don't agree with any of the options available to vote for.

Agree ted you cannot base every decision you make on the suffering of someone else who has facilitated your right to do it!

I admire what the suffragettes did as they were the activists of their day and fought for their beliefs but that does not mean we have to be guilt tripped every election

That's kind of what I think.

And thinking about it more this morning, yes, spoiled ballot papers are counted, as in the overall ballots cast are counted, but is there a breakdown by the Returning Officer of people who wrote 'none of the above' or people who put an X in every box or none or puked on it?

I've never noticed that announcement so that's what I meant when I said that spoiled papers weren't counted.

They don't count, do they?

limitedperiodonly this was discussed a while ago though cant remember it being clear i remember some saying they do announce them (spoilt papers),

I can be arsed voting but I don't think I will in this election. There is literally no one I want to vote for. I've voted tactically in the past but I've become so disillusion with the whole system now.

The main political parties have more in common with each other than have differences and their main goals seem to be concerned with their own personal gains both financial and influential. I hate them.

We keep talking about democracy in this country as if it's not changed since the 40's but it's a very different animal now and it really boils my piss that the public are expected to do their "duty" and vote no matter what or be called "lazy", "stupid", "feckless" while those vying for, or in power, are never held to the same standard. For example there are no sanctions in place to punish parties who go back on their manifesto's (used to lure in voters) and no parties who want to implement these sanctions as misleading voters is part of the game. They are only interested in their own power and money (and this is only the tip of the iceberg of things I hate about modern politics by the way). This isn't democracy, it's a game of power and we are the pawns.

Again, there is no one I trust enough to vote for so I don't think I can.

BreakingDad77 I believe you when you say they do. But do they do a breakdown at the count or afterwards?

I'm aware of being pedantic but unless someone has written 'none of the above' it's impossible to tell what people's intentions are.

And 'none of the above' isn't an option, so why not 'fuck you all' or 'a plague on all your houses'?

I'm always conscious that anything other than an X in the box might not count but I would normally put a tick in a box so have to remind myself to do that and I qualified to vote a while ago.

I don't see how anything other than an X in a box can be registered as a valid vote.

Does this clarify, Limited?

It's not a valid vote. It is, however, a statement. Silence isn't.

I don't see how anything other than an X in a box can be registered as a valid vote.

That's not strictly true. As long as the voting intention is clear it counts as a vote. I once saw a ballot paper with five candidates on it, the voter had written, wanker, tosser, thief, racist, yes please, on the paper, one comment next to each candidate, yes please counted as a vote.

I think almost all constituency's count spoilt papers. Each spoilt paper/unclear vote is set aside by the people counting, periodically through the night all the candidates, or their representatives are called over by the returning officer to look at all the spoilt papers to agree (or disagree) that they are indeed spoilt papers or a vote for somebody. The ballet paper described above would have been decided in this way.

So if you do decide to spoil your ballot at least five/six people will see it and see what you think about the candidates/process

Also as said up thread votes do count even if candidates you want don't get elected. I don't expect UKIP to win many seats (hope not) but the support they have and votes they'll get have changed the political landscape and other parties have taken these views on-board.

Also mentioned up thread, I do wish young people would vote, if they did I doubt they'd have been so shafted by both main parties. They can't afford to piss the grey vote off, so they don't, they same can't be said for the young.

Well if none of their policies matter to a person, or. If every party has the same views on a particular policy, then. Why should they take the time to vote. ?

I feel really strongly that everyone should have to go to the poll station, even if it's to spoil a ballot paper by scrawling "none of the above" on it. I'd make it compulsory to vote, as it is in a number of other countries

Alternatively, I'd make it compulsory for those who don't vote to wear a sign that says they aren't allowed to complain about how the country is run, because they had a chance to influence it and decided they couldn't be arsed

Vote because people died to win that right for you.
Spoil your ballot paper if you think they are all shit, that is, write "None of the above" or "You are all liars" or whatever. Spoiled ballot papers count too, especially if the count is close.
Imagine if the majority spoiled their ballot. That'd make politicians sit up.

It's not just women, though. Do we want to return to the days when our Lord and Masters made all the decisions and the common men and women had no vote at all?

You may feel you can't trust them: you may feel you dislike the lot of them. I wouldn't argue with you

The fact remains that their policies are different and, in the case of Labour, the Conservatives and the LibDems, we're able to look at their track record while in Government, too.
That gives us the opportunity to see past their manifestos and look at areas they'd prefer not to fight the election on.

Gralick not really. That seems to be a suggestion by Rick Edwards, author of The Debrief.

Is it valid or is it his wishful thinking?

Was it your DH who is a counter? I'm sorry, I can't recall.

But if he is and if he comes across papers marked in the way Edwards has recommended, where does he put them? Does anyone else have instructions to do this? What if someone uses a different wording?

So if you do decide to spoil your ballot at least five/six people will see it and see what you think about the candidates/process

But most of the people doing the counts are unimportant. I'm not disparaging them, I'm just saying that's what they are. They are there to spot irregularities but primarily they are there to count. That is how it should be.

If someone wants to report electoral fraud, that's different. But a load of ballot papers that are unclear that don't appear to show fraud...

Love that link Gralick and how they've got the gender of the candidates spot on.

I really REALLY wish there was a " no- confidence vote " box

also known as I bothered to turn up but don't give a shiny shit about any of you box

so that there was a record of how pissed off folks are with the choice of political leaders.

But to waste the vote after all the women who fought for that right for us is IMHO immoral.

I'd make it compulsory for those who don't vote to wear a sign that says they aren't allowed to complain about how the country is run, because they had a chance to influence it and decided they couldn't be arsed

Or a big A or a fleur-de-lys.

We've come a really long way since the suffragettes, haven't we?

The candidates and/or their agents will look at any doubtful ballot papers.

Of course it isn't immoral. Many people put themselves on the line for what they believe and we don't live our lives according to those and I am sure there are many who consider their causes valid. They fought for the right not the obligation

yanbu

many are making the choice to not vote but the cba attitude I struggle to understand

we are in a position to make changes they might not be made but we have that power that so many do not have so why waste it

I think many just cba to educate themselves with differences between the parties and what has happened when either the left or right have been in power