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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My vote isn't going to make one jot of difference is it?

78 replies

TheoriginalLEM · 03/05/2015 11:36

I live in a safe tory seat, there is no way this will change i am told, so really? what is the point even, of me voting? It will make no difference locally and even less nationally.

:(

I am going to vote, i haven't decided who for yet, it is between labour and green, but honestly, i may as well vote monster raving looney for all the difference it is going to make.

Someone please tell me that this isn't so?

OP posts:
JCDenton · 03/05/2015 11:52

Say you like your Lib Dem candidate, but it's a safe tory deat and they're only expected to get 4% of the vote. If a few more people think like you and the Lib Dem candidate gets 8%, then the party will put that candidate up in a more winnable seat next time or devote more resources to garnering votes in your constituency next time, so it does make a difference. I seem to recall the Jacob Rees-Mogg got started when he did less terribly than expected in a safe Labour seat in Scotland.

Trills · 03/05/2015 11:56

You are only one person, but if everyone who felt like you voted it WOULD make a difference.

Taking it to the extreme - if everyone in a safe Tory seat who did not support the Conservatives didn't vote, when the counting was done it would look as if the Conservatives were backed by 100% of the constituency.

If everyone else DID vote, the same candidate might get in, but they might get less than 40% of the vote (with the rest split between the ther candidates). That would send a strong message, and be useful in backing the argument for a change to our current first-past-the-post system.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/05/2015 11:57

I'm in safe tory and I'm voting green.
Perhaps they'll keep their deposit.
Perhaps enough of a green surge will give others confidence to vote for what they believe in rather than tactically voting.
Lib dem getting into bed with the tories put an end to me ever tactically voting again.

TheAwfulDaughter · 03/05/2015 11:58

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
TheoriginalLEM · 03/05/2015 11:59

Trills that makes sense and confuses me even more :) as in, who do i vote for to send that message? I voted for lib-dem last time but they have (obviously) lost my trust. Green have good ideas but less information on how they would implement their changes. Every survey thing i do suggests i should vote labour but lets face it the last labour government wasn't exactly great.

OP posts:
Trills · 03/05/2015 12:02

Vote for either:

the party you like the policies of
(so they can say "we got X% of the votes but ony Y% of the seats")

or

the individual candidate you trust the most
(because it'll be good for thier "career")

If the surveys all say you should vote Labour then maybe Labour IS the party with the policies that are best for you, even if you don't "feel" as if you like them.

Miltonmaid · 03/05/2015 12:05

If there is no overall majority then which party has the majority of votes might turn out to be important.

albertcampionscat · 03/05/2015 12:05

This time round it might. If tory/labour are in stalemate the side with the most votes will be able to claim that they should form the government.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/05/2015 12:08

I did the vote for policies 'quiz'.
I came out 100% Green,so it really focussed me.

meglet · 03/05/2015 12:08

pleae vote. it might make a difference. we're in a safe tory seat (best part of 10yrs apparently Sad ). I never miss a chance to vote. maybe one day it will change.

If all the un-decided swing voters actually voted it probably would make a difference in several seats.

meglet · 03/05/2015 12:09

sorry, safe tory for almost 100yrs.

ThatBloodyWoman · 03/05/2015 12:11

Imo,if you are socialist greens are the best bet.
Anyone who wants rid of trident needs to vote green or snp.

Stopandlook · 03/05/2015 12:12

I'm in same situation but will still vote for reasons above. Annoying though isn't it.

stayathomegardener · 03/05/2015 12:16

I posted my wasted Green vote last week.

Feels good to have done it and stuck to my convictions.

TheNumberfaker · 03/05/2015 12:25

Another one in a safe Tory seat. I voted LibDem as a tactical vote against the Tories laste time, I felt dirty when the ConDem coalition came about. I will be voting Labour this time.
There are quite a few websites to help you choose a party based on policies rather than personalities.

RedToothBrush · 03/05/2015 13:00

My seat is a key marginal. We are under siege from leaflets.

Its a two horse race.

HOWEVER,

MORE people didn't vote in the last election than the winning candidate got votes. If everyone of those voters had got to the polling station, the result could have been radically different.

Its so close this time that one seat could make a difference and its more unpredictable that its ever been. Strange things could happen.

I admit I will vote tactically. Its not how I feel but I think its important because its such a marginal. I am taking a tactical gamble on a hung parliament and what that's going to mean. I'm voting with my head.

However DH is voting with his heart. I think this is important too. This is why.

I think a hung parliament could be good for democracy. It does mean that 'wasted' votes are going to be looked at more closely. Especially if there is a re-election, which at this point is a very real possibility. How others vote might well influence how I vote then. And there is the possibility it will influence parties too.

You vote in someways is therefore important TO ME even if it doesn't influence the overall outcome. And I doubt I am alone in this thinking.

VOTE. Even if its to spoil your ballot.

WhoNickedMyName · 03/05/2015 13:03

until people start voting for who they truly want, nothing will change.

Erudite · 03/05/2015 13:03

I live in a safe Tory seat too ( yay!!) and I love that we can all vote with our hearts here.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 03/05/2015 13:07

I might just spoil my ballot. A protest but it still gets counted.

Or I will vote Green. It's a two horse race here between the Conservatives and Lib Dems but I can't vote for either in good conscience after what they did in the coalition.

If we had a credible Labour candidate I would probably vote for them. I'd rather a Labour government than Conservatives.

DocHollywood · 03/05/2015 13:08

I've done the quiz and it came out 100% Green so I will be voting in my safe Tory seat. Never normally do as it has seemed pointless but have taken on board what people are saying and also I know and like the Green candidate anyway. My only qualm is, will I be taking

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 03/05/2015 13:10

I have never voted for the winning candidate in any election I have ever voted in, even when I have voted for the previous incumbent!

Therefore it does feel a bit like I don't get a say but that's democracy I suppose.

If you've never voted before you're taking a vote away from anyone other than the apathetic.

DocHollywood · 03/05/2015 13:11

.... It from the Labour vote?

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 03/05/2015 13:11

you're NOT taking a vote away...

DoraGora · 03/05/2015 13:24

I saw a swap my vote site on the news, the other night. Might take a bit of googling, but, it's an idea.

DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel · 03/05/2015 13:27

So up until reading this thread I was considering voting Tory as another vote against UKIP. The tories are big round here and in 2010 they won by the biggest margin anyone did in the UK (over 23 thousand more than the next). There are quite a few Tory Banners on houses round here, but the odd UKIP thrown in. I read that it was a safe Tory seat with Labour in second place closely followed by UKIP. Therefore I was thinking of voting Tory just to pull another vote away from UKIP and then less likely UKIP getting a seat in Parliament.

However as it is a safe Tory seat anyway I might just change my mind again and go back to the party I want to back even though they haven't a chance of getting in round here. But the last MP has resigned so Im not sure if 5 years ago people voted for him because it was him rather than liking the party so more people might move away from Tory this time.

Is there something that gives me an idea on voting liklihood according to polls? I know you can see something nationally, but Id be interested in how my local people are looking to vote.