to think that the young will surprise us today and vote in larger than usual numbers

thinkiamgoingcrazy · 2017-06-08T04:09:59+00:00

I'm hoping the outcome is a hung parliament which allows a progressive alliance to form. [[http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/june2017/2017/06/election-2017-what-happens-if-theres-hung-parliament Interesting article.]]

bananacake1 · 08/06/2017 05:32

They might (come out and vote). The same young people were quite annoyed by the referendum result last year, but they didn't have much room for complaint when they personally didn't bother to vote, so maybe they've learned their lesson.

If there is a progressive alliance, what will the priorities be for the non-Labour parties? Another in/ out vote for Scotland, another in/ out EU vote and some green policies??

Zampa · 08/06/2017 05:39

I think turnout is going to be really low, less than 65%. It's going to chuck it down all day, for starters

Hope that you're right though!

hellokittymania · 08/06/2017 05:40

I am going to vote today. :)

DisneylandDreams · 08/06/2017 05:46

It's a sad state of affairs when a bit of rain stopped people from voting. I just don't understand why turnouts are so low - obviously I get the concept that some people can't pragmatically get there, or miss the postal vote deadline, but I don't see how you can be an adult and not care or think it doesn't change anything or affect you.

TheFoxInTheSnow · 08/06/2017 05:54

Have you seen the front pages of the newspapers? Seriously hoping people don't buy them like they used to because they are awful and historically people follow their newspaper because they have been brainwashed by it. Young people more likely to be influenced by social media than newspaper

GreenRut · 08/06/2017 06:01

Yep, Yougov predicting a 7 point lead and an increased majority for the Conservative party. And that's with them having done a wholesale review of their sampling method which sounds as though it's going someway to correct previous inaccuracies in predicting how 'undecideds' will vote. I give up :(

LostSight · 08/06/2017 07:15

My nineteen year old son, who is generally incredibly disorganised about everything, has registered to vote without any prompting from me. I'm very proud of him.

I hope you're right OP.

MirabelleTree · 08/06/2017 07:18

I hope you're right. DD is now 18 so can vote but is on holiday so DH is proxy voting for her as is my friend for her DS. DD was very good as reminding her friends to register which they all did. They are incredibly pissed of they had no say in the Referendum.

DisneylandDreams · 08/06/2017 07:20

My 18 yr old daughter has managed to as well, but she's quite interested in politics. She regularly argues points with other students at her college and then comes home to rant at me tell me more about it.

VelvetSpoon · 08/06/2017 07:20

I wouldn't bet on it.

Most people my DS (18) knows aren't registered to vote, or if they are, aren't going to bother voting. I don't think they're atypical.

DisneylandDreams · 08/06/2017 07:21

I'm very proud of her though, even if she can talk the hind legs off a donkey!

Laiste · 08/06/2017 07:22

3 of my DDs are late teens/early 20s.

They intend to vote today, but i will be frog-marching them down to the village hall keeping an eye as we're off on hols tomorrow and i fear the packing and the deep discussions over who's wearing what will cause voter apathy in this house I could be wrong. They might surprise me.

WHO they vote for is up to them of course - but they WILL use their vote!

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 08/06/2017 07:23

I would like to believe this, but I seriously doubt it. I've voted every chance I've had since turning 18 and I feel seriously weary about using my vote this time.

Laiste · 08/06/2017 07:27

under you know this is true here too.

Having just posted about my 3, i'm feeling a bit hypercritical because a small part of me is tempted to stop worrying, not bother voting and detach mentally.

GraceGrape · 08/06/2017 07:31

I hope so but historically the young have always voted in lower numbers. It's not a new phenomenon.

QueenLaBeefah · 08/06/2017 07:32

If they are anything like the young adults at my work then they won't bother to vote. Most didn't even bother to register. They didn't vote in the EU referendum either but grumbled about the result. 🤔

TheVoiceofDoom · 08/06/2017 07:37

I think there is a feeling that it won't matter anyway as nothing will change. I felt like this myself when young and once said it to an older woman on the bus. She shamed me by reminding me about the suffragettes.

birdsdestiny · 08/06/2017 07:37

600 thousand people registered to vote on the last day that they were allowed to register . Of those, two thirds were "young" 18 - 35. I must say that figure made me pause in terms of what I expect the result to be.

PaintingByNumbers · 08/06/2017 07:40

they waited til the last day to register, they will turn up a day late or not at all. I wish they would vote but its their problem even more than mine if they dont.

Brittbugs80 · 08/06/2017 07:46

a sad state of affairs when a bit of rain stopped people from voting. I just don't understand why turnouts are so low - obviously I get the concept that some people can't pragmatically get there, or miss the postal vote deadline, but I don't see how you can be an adult and not care or think it doesn't change anything or affect you

I think some think their vote doesn't make a difference, some think it's a waste of time as they don't like whose running and don't even spoil their vote. And the 18 year old at work isn't voting as her parents told her it was a waste of time as the country is ruined.

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 08/06/2017 07:50

I think there is a feeling that it won't matter anyway as nothing will change.

I know it's a common enough feeling, but I want to shake young people when they say this (and I'm not that not-young myself). The elderly and retired are disproportionately catered for in politics, because they so reliably show up to vote. If young people showed up, even to spoil their ballots, politicians would be falling all over themselves to offer policies that catered to them. If younger people generally had turned out for the EU referendum, it would have gone the other way. How can anyone possibly believe that their vote doesn't matter when we're staring down Brexit?

Anyway, rant over. I know you weren't agreeing with that opinion, but God it bugs me in its self-defeating stupidity.

Dandandandandandandan · 08/06/2017 08:06

I really hope my 21 year cousin votes for the first time in his life. I mean, he's never worked in his life and lives in a caravan in his boyfriend's parents' garden where he and his (also never worked) boyfriend stay up all night getting stoned and playing online games. And he supports labour because he wants to "tax the rich and make society more equal" man.

His entire group of mates and his half brother are the same.

It makes me want to smash my forehead on the desk when I see them exhorting people to vote for labour because they'll get more taxes out of people.

SOME young people should vote. But honestly, those who've never bothered to work? Not so sure!!

SoupDragon · 08/06/2017 08:08

I will be taking my DS along to vote. He turned 18 earlier this year.

Having said that, he is keen to vote anyway and hasn't needed any encouragement. We've discussed the possibility of a tactical vote as out constituency has never been anything other than a conservative safe seat and he's made his own mind up who to vote for.

IJustLostTheGame · 08/06/2017 08:09

Brewdog are giving away free beer if you vote.
Hopefully that'll be an incentive.
It is for me.
Even though I'm not young and was going to vote anyway.

Badbadbunny · 08/06/2017 08:12

Have you seen the front pages of the newspapers? Seriously hoping people don't buy them like they used to because they are awful and historically people follow their newspaper because they have been brainwashed by it. Young people more likely to be influenced by social media than newspaper

So you don't think there's bias and brainwashing on social media then???