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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be mad I'm voting blind!?

59 replies

MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 17:29

I believe local elections should be done on the candidate rather than the party. We have had, for five candidates, a grand total of two leaflets. One of which was a general party one. Local papers and websites decided against profiling or interviewing candidates this year. I cannot find any information about some of them.

So AIBU to vote according to which name I like best?

OP posts:
PixieMiss · 04/05/2017 17:48

Unless they were truly dreadful I would vote for 1 of the 2 parties that bothered to give out reading materials.

I've never done this but I have heard of people "spoiling" their vote to make feelings clear.

PamBagnallsGotACollage · 04/05/2017 17:50

Do their party websites not have anything on them at all?

Turkeyneck · 04/05/2017 17:52

Yanbu. Exactly how I am feeling. Only got 1 leaflet.

Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 17:52

I think i probably will. I'm just so angry - they go on about getting people to vote but then act like they don't care who we vote for. It's as if they say "Map has heard of x so will vote for them, no point giving the pros and cons". I thought my vote was meant to matter! Angry

OP posts:
Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 17:53

No Pam, not that I can kind. Just the general rhetoric rather than them and what they want to do for the area.

OP posts:
LadySalmakia · 04/05/2017 17:56

I haven't had anything. I want to see more women in politics so for anything local I just vote for female candidates that aren't from a party I don't actually recognise or ukip/Tory scum. Sorted.

(Oh once I voted for the The Peace Party candidate because I was a bit hormonal and she was only 19 bless her and she sent such a lovely leaflet through.)

polarbearshuffle · 04/05/2017 17:58

Apart from a section on the local news the other day I've not seen or heard any information about the candidates. It dawned on me as I was on my way to vote, which was helpful.

JamieXeed74 · 04/05/2017 17:59

The parties are on the news every day spouting their ideas. Just watch the TV a bit, go to their websites. Its not hard to find out a bit of info. The candidates will follow their party whips so you will know pretty much everything you need to now unless they are an independent.

Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 18:00

Seems as good a reason as any Lady!

I realise this is being overshadowed by the GE but they should already have had leaflets printed etc by the time it was announced. Just no excuse to my mind.

OP posts:
AGnu · 04/05/2017 18:09

I've barely heard anything. There's been a couple of candidates promoting their blurb on Facebook but one was a party I wouldn't vote for & the other was an independent candidate so I guess I'll vote for him... Don't even know how many candidates there are! If there's a woman on the list I might vote for her just for the sake of it. Confused Don't see why they couldn't have delayed all local elections until June, or called the general election in time to do that today.

LadySalmakia · 04/05/2017 18:09

I completely agree, local candidates should do more.

Mind you I'm not sure I'm actually registered, just going to find out - we moved and I did it straight away but possibly missed the cut off, can't recall!

TheChineseChicken · 04/05/2017 18:09

1 leaflet here, delivered 30 minutes ago Hmm

LynetteScavo · 04/05/2017 18:10

On local politics a Labour and Green have been very quiet, Lib Dem and Cons very vocal.

Hasn't affected my vote.

Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 18:12

Jamie this is local elections - very different from General. It's not about party in the same way.

OP posts:
onceandneveragain · 04/05/2017 18:13

If there's no other info available I choose from

(Not in order)

  • candidates who have bothered dropping leaflets/coming to the door
  • candidates who actually live in he area (8 out of the 11 on today's ballot didn't)
  • female or other minority candidates (usually have to judge by name if don't know of them)

But yes, it is shit. It's free to set up a face book page and then link to it on local sites, for example, as a bare bare minimum of effort

CormorantDevouringTime · 04/05/2017 18:15

If I really can't decide in a local election I vote for the ones who live closest to me on the grounds that if your local councillor lives on your streeet you're more likely to get your bins emptied regularly and the broken traffic lights fixed quickly.

Clearly there are limits to this policy though - if the guy next door was a BNP candidate I'd draw the line.

Rockandrollwithit · 04/05/2017 18:16

The local lib dems here are very organised, they send monthly updates and not just at election time. I'm convinced that's why they control the council even though the Tory MP has a massive majority.

YellowRoss · 04/05/2017 18:21

I've not been to vote yet, we've got that strange numbers system here where you rank them (does everyone or just Scotland?)

I'm going to rank my lib dem councillor number 1, she is on Facebook a lot and comments on local forums about issues, everyone else has been completely anonymous so she gets my vote.

Voting is so important but I agree with you OP there is a lack of information for people.

LadySalmakia · 04/05/2017 18:22

Go me, I registered in time and the only female candidate was for over of the parties I don't hate.

Lotsawobblybits · 04/05/2017 18:22

I have searched and searched for info on all the candidates for our ward and have really struggled, no FB pages, no leaflets, no interviews in local press.

Ended up voting for the one who lives in the ward, has 100% meeting attendance and no vested interests - he has worked to improve local communal green spaces.

Is it any wonder we have people who feel disenfranchised by politics, when even at its most local level the candidates are largely invisible.

CricketFishieDHAndI · 04/05/2017 18:23

DH just votes for the party he supports (or if he personally knows a candidate).

I don't vote in the UK. But I'm swamped with letters several times a year. Communal elections, Bigger administrative entity elections and votes, national elections and votes. Official recommendations, each parties leaflets and brochures, lists etc... I mean, I know they care about my vote. Which is nice, I guess. But it's a lot of reading material...

TortoiseBeep · 04/05/2017 18:23

We've just got the mayoral elections here, I've had one single leaflet. We did have a booklet through, but that's all I've heard of any of them.

Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 18:24

I like your plan cormorant but I can't even find their addresses or I'd shove leaflets through their doors to show them how it's done

OP posts:
JamieXeed74 · 04/05/2017 18:28

very different from General. It's not about party in the same way.
Local parties follow pretty much the same principles as the national parties. And local parties dont have the funds the national parties so they cant canvas the whole area with leaflets. People have to take some responsibility to find out what they are standing for, the internet pretty much covers it all.

rodrickrules · 04/05/2017 18:29

As someone standing for the first time, in a clear no hope seat. I can tell you that a key reason for no leaflets is money. Any money that might have been spent on them is likely to be put into the ge. For the people in the seats you have their record, for new unknowns you might have a Facebook page or website. If your area is likely to vote one way then there is limited point in any of the parties putting too many resources in to a campaign.