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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That as I haven't registered to vote by post...

64 replies

cjt110 · 08/06/2016 15:05

...I don't have a right to an opinion on the referendum. As it goes, I would not know which way to vote due to lack of clear information so probably wouldn't choose to vote anyway.

Discussions got to the referendum here in the office with a colleague asking who was voting which way. I was listening to the arguments for and against and came up with some counter suggestions for/against. A colleague piped up with "well you haven't even registered to vote by post so (paraphrased) you don't have a right to an opinion"

I am by no means a feminist but I am raging at this notion that as I haven't registered to vote by post (we are away on holiday on 23 June) that I don't have a right to an opinion.

Really quite cross by this. Yes, I chose not to register to vote by post. That's my choice. But to be made to feel I cant discuss it made me so cross. All 3 discussing it were male. Each argument I made was poo-pooed and one even remarked (the one who said I didnt have a right to an opinion) said I was making up scenarios that would never happen. Eg. I said well what if we leave the EU and to be able to travel within Europe you need to apply for a visa for those countries. Entirely possible. Also entirely not possible. We don't know. But I was made out to not matter.

OP posts:
EatShitDerek · 08/06/2016 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pinkheart5915 · 08/06/2016 15:14

I struggle to understand what this has to do with feminists Confused

you don't have to vote by post, you can go to a polling station???

Pinkheart5915 · 08/06/2016 15:17

I miss read the OP was eating cake

oh I see your away so cant go to a polling station and didn't bother to vote by post, but you still want people to listen to what you think.

Its nothing to do with Feminists

MrsJoeyMaynard · 08/06/2016 15:18

You still have time to apply to vote by proxy. The deadline for that is 15th June.

www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how-do-i-vote/voting-by-proxy

PPie10 · 08/06/2016 15:18

You are raging Hmm you didn't register so you want to still have a say?

Original poster
cjt110 · 08/06/2016 15:23

I am cross because in a discussion I am not allowed to say well what if this or that according to these colleagues. I didn't register to vote by post because we are away.

I felt in some way that I was being ganged up on by 2 50ish men saying I didnt have an opinion because I'm not voting. I can have an opinion and not vote if I so choose.

Thanks for the link MrsJoey I will have a look and see if I can get a proxy vote. I thought I had been too late for the proxy registering too.

OP posts:
namechangeparents · 08/06/2016 15:27

I didn't register to vote by post because we are away

I thought that was why people voted to register by post (unless they are housebound)? Because they're not home to vote?

FlibbertigibbetArmadillo · 08/06/2016 15:28

Why is it relevant that they are male? If you care so little you didn't sort your vote out I wouldn't have given your opinion much consideration either

ilovesooty · 08/06/2016 15:31

I would tend to assume someone who couldn't be bothered to sort out a postal vote wouldn't have too many string opinions to express.

That1950sMum · 08/06/2016 15:35

I agree with your colleagues. You don't care enough to sort out your vote, so not likely you have much of interest to say on the matter.
I'm female by the way but completely fail to see why it is relevant what gender your colleagues are!

honeycrumpet · 08/06/2016 15:36

If you change your mind about voting by post there's still time - the deadline to register is 5pm today. If you have access to a printer and scanner you can print out a form, fill it in, scan and send to your council - info here.

ginghambox · 08/06/2016 15:37

Vote by proxy, it's a piece of piss to do ( have just done it because we are on holiday too). Print off the form from the site above, fill it in and post it to your electoral recistration office job done.

Original poster
cjt110 · 08/06/2016 15:38

But surely, regardless of whether I had registered to vote by post, in a discussion about something, I have a right to have an opinion?

OP posts:
EnidButton · 08/06/2016 15:38

I'm of the opinion that if you don't vote then you don't get to tell others that their politics and which way they vote is wrong. If you have such such a strong opinion you would vote. Otherwise, pipe down.

So if that's what you were doing the yabu.

I don't think being female has anything to do with it. Except that being a feminist should've made you want to vote even more given the sacrifices made by women who went before you.

Toxicity · 08/06/2016 15:39

You can have an opinion but it won't count as you can't vote.

positivity123 · 08/06/2016 15:39

YABU
If you can't be bothered to sort out a vote then you can't really expect people to listen to your opinions. Why should others care what you have to say I'd it isn't important to you.
Nothing to do with feminism at all

FlibbertigibbetArmadillo · 08/06/2016 15:41

You have a right to an opinion and they have every right to dismiss it

MangoMoon · 08/06/2016 15:42

You have a right to an opinion, yes.
However, if you don't even care enough about your opinions to vote, then why should others be obliged to care enough to listen^^ to them?

And it has nothing to do with being a woman, either.

StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine · 08/06/2016 15:42

I would quite enjoy being not expected to express an opinion, whether I was able to vote or not. It would mean that I could get on with the work I needed to do without being drawn into a pointless pissing contest.

OddBoots · 08/06/2016 15:43

It's probably more that it is clear you don't value your own opinion or think it deserves consideration, if you did you would have registered in order to express it. Nothing to do with feminism or the people with whom you were having the (non)discussion. You chose not to have a say.

Skittlesss · 08/06/2016 15:46

I would say the same as your colleagues. If you really cared either way then you would have registered. It's not like there haven't been any reminders!

Original poster
cjt110 · 08/06/2016 15:48

Hmmm fair point. I think I was just cross at being. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to place a vote and in some ways feels its a bit pointless anyway as it's only gauging public opinion, unlike say the general election which your vote actually makes things happen/not happen.

Stupid thing, I was asked my opinion by one colleague, then when I expressed it, I was told I didnt have an opinion because I hadnt chosen to vote by post by another colleague.

My point was that I feel a lot of people will vote to leave with only the migration issue to mind rather than looking at the larger picture. And that people will perhaps vote to leave solely on that basis.

OP posts:
fessmess · 08/06/2016 15:49
Biscuit

'tis the silly season I reckon.

Queenbean · 08/06/2016 15:49

If you can't be bothered to vote then I wouldn't be bothered to listen to your opinions

If you're a feminist you should understand WHY it's so important to vote. You obviously don't care though so I wouldn't bother to listen to you

Original poster
cjt110 · 08/06/2016 15:58

Queen they asked for them though, then when I said them, said that because I hadn't registered to vote by post that my opinions didnt matter anyway Confused

OP posts: