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 always read out your posts in a Brummie accent, noddyholder. I agree with your posts here 100%.

That's so funny I saw,him on tv the other day and thought you're not NHmI am!

I totally agree with pointing out how women died for our vote, but if I'm honest I'm not sure that works.
What makes me vote more than anything is the fact that it literally PAYS to vote. Because if not, it means you will get ignored. Politicians look after the people who vote for them, (or might elect them in the future).
Did some research and on average, voters are £1850 worse off while non-voters are £2135 worse off.

Seems like a pretty good reason to vote to me.

tbh OP it sounds as though your issue is with your sister you sound v judgemental of her and her choices.
If you actually think that your vote makes a difference you are sadly deluded.

Here are the electoral turn out percentages since 1918. As you can see an enormous difference could have been made in many had there been a higher turnout. Even with the FPTP system. Often there is just 1500 votes between 1st and 2nd place in a constituency. Can you imagine if the 1500 people who thought they could not make a difference just turned up and actually voted?

UK election turnouts since 1918
Year Election type Turnout
1918 General 57.2
1922 General 73
1923 General 71.1
1924 General 77
1929 General 76.3
1931 General 76.4
1935 General 71.1
1945 General 72.8
1945-50 By-election ave 67.3
1950 General 83.9
1950-51 By-election ave 68.8
1951 General 82.6
1951-55 By-election ave 58.6
1955 General 76.8
1955-59 By-election ave 63.5
1959 General 78.7
1959-64 By-election ave 62.9
1964 General 77.1
1964-66 By-election ave 58.2
1966 General 75.8
1966-70 By-election ave 62.1
1970 General 72
1970-74 By-election ave 56.5
1974 (Feb) General 78.8
1974 By-election ave 25.9
1974 (Oct) General 72.8
1974-79 By-election ave 57.5
1979 Scotland devolution referendum 63.6
1979 Wales devolution referendum 58.6
1979 General 76
1979 European 32.35
1979 Local average 76
1979-83 By-election ave 56.7
1980 Local average 37.4
1981 Local average 42.8
1982 Local average 41
1983 General 72.7
1983 Local average 44.5
1983-87 By-election ave 63.5
1984 European 32.57
1984 Local average 40
1985 Local average 41.6
1986 Local average 41.9
1987 General 75.3
1987 Local average 45
1987-92 By-election ave 57.4
1988 Local average 40.8
1989 European 36.37
1989 Local average 39.2
1990 Local average 47.5
1991 Local average 46
1992 General 77.7
1992 Local average 35.1
1992-97 By-election ave 52.7
1993 Local average 37.2
1994 European 36.43
1994 Local average 41.5
1995 Local average 39.2
1996 Local average 33.2
1997-2001 By-election ave 42.4
1997 General 71.4
1997 Scotland devolution referendum 60.2
1997 Wales devolution referendum 50.1
1997 Local average 72.5
1998 Local average 28.8
1998 Northern Ireland Assembly 70
1999 European 24
1999 Local average 32.2
1999 Welsh Assembly 46.4
1999 Scottish Parliament 58.8
2000 London mayor 33.7
2000 Local average 29.6
2001 General 59.4
2001 Local average 62.1
2001-05 By-election ave 39.3
2002 Local average 33.3
2003 Local average 35.6
2003 Welsh Assembly 38.2
2003 Scottish Parliament 49.4
2003 Northern Ireland Assembly 64
2004 London mayor 35.9
2004 European 38.25
2004 Local average 40.5
2005 General 61.4
2005 Local average 63.8
2005-10 By-election ave 48.8
2006 Local average 36.5
2007 Local average 37.4
2007 Welsh Assembly 43.5
2007 Scottish Parliament 51.7
2007 Northern Ireland Assembly 62.3
2008 London mayor 44.5
2008 Local average 35.5
2009 European 34.7
2009 Local average 39.2
2010 General 65.1
2010- By-election ave 42.3
2010 Local average 63.5
2011 Local average 42.6
2011 Welsh Assembly 41.5
2011 Scottish Parliament 50.4
2011 Northern Ireland Assembly 54.7
2012 London mayor 37.4
2012 Local average 31.3
2012 By-election ave 21.9
2012 PCC 15

General Election turn outs have really dropped since 1997.

yes in 1997 lots of people voted for 'New Labour' in good faith and found themselves criminalized in a panopticon society.

Not sure what panopticon society means sunny (everyone being looked at as if the same?) but faith in the government has definitely dropped. Especially after the Iraq war, the expenses scandal and MPs voting in higher pay rises for themselves but freezing public sector pay ignoring independent pay review bodies except their own.

yes the 'panopticon' was a design for a prison by Jeremy Bentham - whose dessicated head incidentally is somewhere in UCL - a prison which only needed a few guards due to the mirrors in place that would enable everyone in the prison to be watched all the time.
I would say we are now all living in the panopticon post Blair.

I wouldn't. There are many unseen parts of society.

The way I see it, everyone eligible to vote has a right and a responsibility to do so. By not bothering, to my mind all you're doing is showing that you're too lazy to give a damn.

If you really disagree so strongly with all the parties that you can't bring yourself to vote for any of them, then at least go and spoil your ballot paper! It will be counted and logged as a rejected vote. If there's a large enough percentage of these to be reported on, it'll send a pretty big message.

It's difficult for people to be motivated to get off their arses and votes if, like me you live in David Cameron country - obviously the conservatives will win, so why bother?

Well in my case 'because I can'. I think it's important and it really annoys me when people don't vote. We pay for the election, it's for US.

I don't vote. Not because I can't be arsed but because I think that ALL of them are liars and make promises to get into power but none of them actually stick to them. They're all corrupt and as bad as each other, and none of them know what its really like to be working class and struggle

It's only since end of WW 1 that masses got the vote, it was a 'reward' for their sacrifice, at that time women only voted if they were of means and aged 30. Can you imagine this now, there would be an outcry yet we don't appreciate this right to vote.

We are voting for a new head of security for the Boy Scouts overnight stay comittee.

would you like:

A. Jimmy Saville

B. Michael Jackson

C. Cliff Richard

I don't know. I think you should have at least some clue about politics if your going to vote. A colleague of mine, a highly qualified professional, asked me to explain politics to her the other day. She literally did not have a clue. Thought you voted for who you wanted to be PM, didn't understand constituencies, the difference between local and general elections, nada. I think people with that level of ignorance should probably refrain from voting tbh.

Everybody should vote, if people do not understand politics the process should be simplified or teach it in school instead of travel and tourism or dog grooming or whatever.

Candidates should also be viable to make the process worth while.

Today`s election campaigns consist of being pictured with famous people and babies and avoiding awkward questions instead of providing knowledge to voters.

The people who benefit from the current election system do not want ignorant people to understand the process. It is as corrupt as everything else in this capitalist country.

Tony Blair won the elections because his best mate was Rupert Murdoch ffs!
All hail governor Schwarzenegger, it`s a joke.

Once we catch up to America in a few years we can probably look forward to Harry Styles, Mayor of London.

There have been times I haven't voted, times I've ruined the paper.
This time I'm voting properly.
Why not try to educate those who can't be bothered, send them a link with info about the parties.
Sometimes, it can just be a case of them not having time, inclination to find who they prefer.

I'm not voting this time but I also won't complain about how the outcome impacts me.

I do dislike people who don't vote then feel hard done by with the outcome regarding some part if their life.

At the moment I just see it as each party will impact me in some way but none to a degree that will truly matter. If that happens I'll either become more involved in politics ir move abroad.

Urgh! For the pps suggesting that the op 'educate' non voters, really??!? I and everyone I know that isn't voting is doing so out of a considered decision. Can't be arsed is usually jsut what I say to get rid of the women who have their knickers when they realise im not interested in hearing thier views.

Wings

I didn't mean that once they were educated they would all rush out and vote, or that people who don't vote do so because they aren't educated.
I should have worded it differently.

I believe that some people would vote who wouldn't normally if they were educated about the different parties and their manifestos explained in layman's terms. I think younger voters could be persuaded and not think its something they don't understand or is for political people.
I have heard young people saying they aren't political and therefore don't vote. They seem to think that those who vote do nothing but study politics in their spare time. They don't know what an impact their vote would make, especially if the whole population of 18/24 year olds voted.

icarus

If more schools taught T&T I would probably have a job, but get the point on dog grooming

Actually, in the future, working class men will not have any time to vote on account of working an 84 hour week in order to pay child maintenance and the mortgage on a house where they cannot live on top of their own gruel and shared tent accommodation costs.

This will be ordered by Cafcass who will over rule the judge on account of the man becoming an obstacle to their partners emotional well being by way of reducing their benefit payments by existing in the home where their children live. It will be termed involuntary emotional benefit abuse.

Paypal will be incorporated by the CSA with women just needing to provide a positive pregnancy test in order to "chargeback" 18 years worth of predicted maintenance and rent costs to free up court time.

Appeals against these orders will only be heard in the Supreme World Family Court in Dubai. This 3 roomed building will be shared by the legal systems of America, China and Briton.

Therefore all election candidates will be female to capitalise on this men not vote trend, 50% of the population will be mediation therapists and Dame Katie Price will be Mayor of London...

....Considering the past 10,000 years of human sociology, maybe men deserve it...