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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:
deblet · 04/05/2017 18:31

I feel this way OP. I don't even know any of the candidates and although we are going along shortly I have no idea who to vote for.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 04/05/2017 18:39

We have one candidate in my area who runs (and has been doing for several years) a local website (not specifically a canvassing website, but one regarding local issues). He is very involved in local issues, works to change things and posts about it so you feel involved too. He has an up to date Facebook page. He has been round all the houses in the area twice knocking on doors and has leafleted.

He is from a party I have never voted for, but he is definitely the best person for the job.

We've had one other leaflet from one party. I have searched their party webpages and their facebooks for information on them. And the best, there is some generic political party stuff (and usually having a go at other parties...) at worst there is nothing.

If the candidates can't even be bothered to communicate or TRY to communicate with the people they want to vote for them, I don't get the impression they care about winning and definitely don't care about the area. That and you never hear ANYTHING from the others between the elections.

Original poster
MipMipMip · 04/05/2017 18:44

Very well said Burn.

Jamie I have actually done a lot of searching and found nothing. But given they are trying to attract the swing voters, who traditionally don't care enough to do research, you would think they would try a bit harder!

Off to vote. Closing my eyes and ticking a random one may be the way forward....

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 18:45

The home address of the candidate is always on the notice of poll, which will be displayed in various places around the ward and on the local government website. There are thousands of households in a county council ward. They may not have the manpower to leaflet the whole area. For the mayoral elections, there will have been a booklet with contact details for each candidate sent to every voter by the returning officer.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 18:47

Googling the name of my village and each main political party takes me to my local constituency party website which has more info too.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 04/05/2017 19:35

We had two leaflets and when I looked at the voting paper, there were half a dozen candidates. I'd looked online this morning and there was no information.

We live in an area that it always going to support one party, so I see local elections asa chance to look at what the others have to offer. Except I don't know because they clearly don't care enough to let us know. There were no candidates at the polling station and there were no voters other than us. It's all very well having the vote, but difficult when you don't know whether what you're voting for is what you want.

specialsubject · 04/05/2017 19:45

Believe me I searched the internet! It was a struggle even to find out who was standing. Nothing on local websites.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 19:45

Pretty sure they do care. But they can'take reach thousands of households, especially if there isn't much of a local party infrastructure. Maybe I live in a political hotbed, but as I said, if I Google the name of my village (one of 4 in my county council ward) and the party name, the first hit is the local constituency group for Labour, LibDems, Tories and Greens. And if I Google "village name independent," the independent candidate also has a Web page. There is a UKIP candidate too, but I can'tell bring myself to put that in a search engine. M

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 19:47

X post. The notice of poll is always on the local authority website. And will definitely get displayed on a noticeboard on your local area somewhere. For us, on three buildings owned by the parish council.

hazeyjane · 04/05/2017 19:49

This will be the 3rd thread I've posted this question On!

As there are often complaints about the lack of leaflets and publicity (and sometimes complaints the other way!) - would any of you consider leafleting for a candidate/party you support? The leaflet pushers, etc are volunteers.

Whirltime · 04/05/2017 19:51

I havent voted had nothing about any candidates though the door. I actually forgot it was local elections today as heard nothing. Had leaflets about junes one though.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 19:53

Still time to vote. Polls close at 10pm

ghostyslovesheets · 04/05/2017 19:58

you need people to give out leaflets - I do what I can but I work and am single with 3 kids - leafleted 3 roads last night - it took almost 2 hours

I urge anyone who is a party member to get out and help!

Sittinginthesun · 04/05/2017 19:59

I have opposite problem. Where I live, two parties are very active. It is rare that I don't know the candidates by sight, or well enough to chat to.

This time round, I like one individual, but do not like the party. I don't think much of the other individual, but slightly prefer the party.

In the general election, I actually really like our MP, and think he does a good job locally, but I fundamentally disagree with the party.

I've pretty much decided that I can't vote meaningfully, so the only option is to go, but spoil my vote. Nightmare.

Choccywoccyhooha · 04/05/2017 19:59

Nothing through the door here, no sign of candidates, and not one had bothered to update their profile on the ward's website.
If the candidates demonstrate this level of apathy, how are the electorate supposed to feel moved to vote. It speaks volumes about the state of politics in this country on every single level.

hazeyjane · 04/05/2017 20:01

Yes ghosty, there is a lack of volunteers. Dd's and I did 2 roads, dh did one with ds. (I'm always wondering how come some people have no letterbox!(

deblet · 04/05/2017 20:04

I live in a village with 14 roads. No posters no campaigning Nada zilch. I have just been to polling station one candidate there so I voted for her.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 20:19

Your 14 Street village will be a pretty small part of a county council voting area. Did you ask the candidate why they hadn't done any electioneering?

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 20:21

A candidate, however motivated, would be hard pushed to leaflet an entire ward. It is thousands of homes. It takes ages.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 04/05/2017 20:29

I have googled and there is a huge lack of information about the rest of the candidates in my area- I can't even find a website for some of them.

The candidate I was talking about managed to leaflet all houses and knock on all doors (I think it's taken him all his days off, evenings and weekends for sometime) and visit all the polling stations at least twice today. And has been putting in effort (and publicity) for YEARS for the local area, not just in the last week.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 20:33

I don't require my local representative to forego her or his personal life to the extent that every non-working moment is spent electioneering. I think that is unreasonable for anyone with commitments to family for a start. I do think that local parties should make information available on their website.

deblet · 04/05/2017 20:35

Yes she said she works and has a family

TheFallenMadonna · 04/05/2017 20:36

See, I think that is a reasonable answer.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 04/05/2017 20:53

My candidate does work and have a family. They (including children) have been going round with him at least some of the time.

And yes, I DO expect the candidates to give up their spare time to canvas. People give up their time to volunteer for all sorts of things they believe in (i.e. Give up most of their spare time for the PTA in the run up to a school fair preparing for it). If you really believe in something, you will make sacrifices to achieve it.

BackforGood · 04/05/2017 21:04

How strange. No local Council elections here this time, but we always get information from all the parties - usually even the independents.

We have mayoral elections today, and there was one booklet with information all about the whole process, plus a page from each candidate all with links to their websites / how to contact them. Just to really waste money, they have actually posted it, 4 separate time, once to each of the 4 registered voters in our house..... I'm sure they could have popped it through the door and we could all have shared Hmm
There was also a Local BBC TV programme a couple of weeks ago, with a live debate, after a couple of video clips explaining what it was all about and what powers they would have.
I'm 100% against having an elected mayor for the region (as are the vast majority of people in all the regional cities who voted on that issue a couple of years ago) but, as we are having one foisted upon us, I think people ought to be able to find what they are standing for!