Is a conscience vote really a wasted vote?

[Flippetydip]

I cannot see myself clear to vote for either the Tory or Labour party. My conscience tells me to vote for the Lib Dems. However, in my constituency the race is between Labour and Tory. My Lib Dem vote will count for nothing.

So, AIBU to vote for the Lib Dems when I know full well they have a snowball's chance in hell of getting in?

Same here. I thought I was deffo voting for Lib Dems (don't like Farron, like Clegg) but it turns out Labour have a fighting chance here. But I hate Corbyn and would like him to be trounced so Labour could rejuvenate. Hmmm. Will be interested to see people's thoughts

Vote for whoever you want

But be aware of the implications of doing that

I am a LIb Dem supporter, however it is tightly fought between Tory and Labour in my constituency. Normally I vote with my heart and vote Lib Dem. However I feel with the threat to the NHS and social care and education I cannot let my vote go unheard and so will be voting Labour.

I also vote policies/ party, not people

Personally, I don't think so. If the Lib Dems have the policies you want then you should vote for them. If enough people do the same then it sends a message even if the LDs don't win the seat. If you vote tactically, either Labour or Conservative, then nothing will ever change. One of those two may still win but they won't know why (or care) why you voted for them. If whoever wins has their majority reduced because more people like you vote for who you truly believe in, they may start to take notice. For instance (and yes I know this may not be the happiest example!) enough people voted UKIP in 2015 to really rattle Cameron's cage. They knew that UKIP didn't really have a chance of winning overall, or even the seat in most cases, but nearly 4m people voting for them clearly impacted on Cameron's decision to allow a referendum.

Please vote with your conscience. Sadly it comes down to labour or conservatives more than any time in recent elections.
I have voted green and lib dem in the past however I am not willing to give the Torys another 5 years in power with the dangerous cuts to our public services so I am strongly in favour of labour this time as the only realistic opposition.
I also agree with the labour manifesto and think Keir Starmer had a better chance of negotiatiating Brexit.

You need to vote for the policies that you believe in. Everyone does. I think the media has drummed into us that voting for anyone except the top two is a waste. If everyone thinks like that it will be. And I say that as someone who is voting Labour. Vote selfishly, for what matters to you. My one wish is that people would vote based on the manifestos and not single issues.

Thank you -that's decided me - I will vote with my conscience. I'm not 100percent happy with the Lib Dem manifesto but more than for any other party.

Yes of course you should vote for who you feel will be best for the country.

A lot of top Tories lost their seats in '97, not just Portillo, but Rifkind, Currie et al. However, you should always vote with your conscience. Mine is currently saying get this lot out. But that's mine, you have to do what you feel you can live with.

OP, I'm a Lib Dem and will be voting for them even though they have no chance in my constituency. However, I live in a very safe seat so my vote doesn't really count whatever I vote. I expect I'd feel differently if I lived in a marginal constituency.

There are no wasted votes. In recent years we have seen influence from parties who have won votes but not m/any seats (UKIP, Greens etc).

That said, if I was in a two horse race I would vote tactically against a party I really, really did not want to get in.

Wasted? No, never
BUT
If you are in a marginal, and Labour might lose it, or could win it, Id urge a Lib Demmer to vote tactically for Labour. Because, you know, education, NHS, human rights.

I'm a lib dem.

OP, if you're a lib dem and interested in tactical voting to prevent a hard Tory brexit, you might want to check this out with your postcode:

bestforbritain.org

It's endorsed by a lot of (non Tory) parties as you'll see on the home page.

There's a vote swapping scheme out there, if that would suit you better?
www.swapmyvote.uk/faq

I really wish we had proper proportional representation so we didn't have to do all this tactical shit.

I really wish we had proper proportional representation so we didn't have to do all this tactical shit.

Yes, absolutely!

My Lib Dem vote will count for nothing.

Really, you've just answered your own question!

Those of you who say you live in very safe seats should remember what happened in Scotland in the last general election in all the so called safe seats. Massive swings to the SNP -the biggest
in Glasgow North East being 39.3 % from Labour to SNP.

If one party gets 20k and the 2nd place party gets 10k (in votes)

Thats a safe seat isnt it

Depends how many votes are available in total Rufus and the history of the seat.

Glasgow North East
In 2010 Labour 20,100 SNP (2nd place party) 4,158
In 2015 Labour 12,754 SNP 29,976

Your LibDem vote will not be wasted if you are certain they are the party that best represents your views. If neither Labour or Conservatives represent your views they don't deserve your vote. If the LibDems have put together a manifesto that closest meets your wishes, then they do deserve your vote.

If a party has a manifesto that doesn't meet the needs/wishes/aspirations of the sector of society they claim to respresent, then they can't expect those people to vote for them just to "keep XXXX party out of power."

Labour are unlikely to get a majority, however they might end up forming a coallision - making it clear the level of support for parties like LibDem (not just in consitutencies where they win, but also the ones where someone else wins) will give the LibDems more power in a negotating position to agree how much of their manifesto and how much of the Labour/other parties in coallision's manifesto becomes the new plan of action for them.

moving

73k eligible to vote 47k voted

Conservatives got 26k (36%)

Second got 9k

Conservative have had the seat since 1974

Looks pretty safe to me.

Also looks a lot like my local seat although the majority has reduced. I remain hopeful :)

I totally get why people are so focused on tactical voting right now - desperation to prevent a Tory landslide means that lots of people with huge misgivings about Labour/Corbyn are holding their nose and voting for them. But I'm still voting Lib Dem despite being in a Tory/Labour marginal because my values align much more closely with them than with either of the main parties, and because if all their supporters vote tactically their vote share will decrease further, and they risk losing influence or even disappearing from politics altogether (that's not an exaggeration - I'm in a Lib Dem Facebook forum and people are genuinely worried they might be totally wiped out as a party).

Our country urgently needs a moderate, centrist voice. The amount of media coverage, funding and influence the LDs get after the election will depend on their overall vote share. If you support them, I'd urge you to vote for them.

Thanks moving

I think my voting preference will come a close third

In 2010 it was lib dem, 2015 it was UKIP!