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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that people who can't be arsed to vote are lazy.

134 replies

frances5 · 04/05/2007 11:42

A democracy cannot run if people do not vote. We need the right politicans to ensure our country is well run. People who don't vote are letting their country down.

Especially as in many countries many people do not have the freedoms we enjoy.

OP posts:
bossykate · 04/05/2007 17:41

ok tsap i wasn't taking issue with you but with the notion that people had some kind of moral obligation to stand themselves if dissatisfied with the line-up of candidate. this is simplistic in the extreme.

bossykate · 04/05/2007 17:42

i really dislike marie antoinette-ish responses generally.

Heathcliffscathy · 04/05/2007 17:48

the greatest enemy is apathy. it makes me very angry.

'oh, nothing will change, I can't do anything about it anyway blah blah blah' fuck off.

do something about it, starting by voting, even if tactically.

write to MPs. start your own party.

agree entirely with OP

bossykate · 04/05/2007 17:50

this is really pissing me off and i do blimmin vote every blimmin time!

bye!

bossykate · 04/05/2007 17:51

if all there is on offer to the disillusioned non-voter is "oh buck up and stand yourself" we are doomed, doomed i tell you.

gingersj · 04/05/2007 19:09

So I still think voting should be compulsory. If you want education and healthcare you should have to vote. No arguments, no reason why not, you just should have to.

The point of no suitable candidate would be when there really isnt any good choice. You need to stop the view that all politicians / councillors etc are idiots and that's why I did not vote....if there was no suitable candidate, that would be better than not voting at all.

BTW, Congrats to my mum, a first time councillor announced today with 1000 votes.... x

trice · 04/05/2007 19:39

my mum is a cll. she is decent, honest and extremely hard working. She never claims expenses like the other candidates in her ward (some of whom see the whole thing as a meal ticket) as she sees her work for local government as a duty.

She would never forgive me if I did not vote. Society is what we make it. One person really can make a difference so stand up and be counted.

Hillls · 04/05/2007 20:04

moomin if I dont want to vote its my right not to, I dont really care what you or anyone else thinks. It has really hasn't got anything to do with you.

gingersj · 04/05/2007 20:18

Hills, do yu never moan about stuff like council tax, police, fire, education, hospitals, rubbish collection?

Because if you do and you dont vote, quite frankly you have lost your voice

Hillls · 04/05/2007 20:20

gingersj I personally raise alot of money for our local hospital doing various fun runs/charity runs, and no I dont moan about local resources.

edam · 04/05/2007 20:23

if you care about your local hospital, you should be voting for the party you think will do most for it. Otherwise you can't complain if the government decides to shut it.

edam · 04/05/2007 20:24

I managed to go and vote even though I'd been too busy dealing with my cat's sudden illness and death all day to remember the count until 6pm, so feel like saying 'yes' to the OP, btw.

edam · 04/05/2007 20:26

Congrats to ginger's mum! 1,000 votes is very respectable, did she get in?

Hillls · 04/05/2007 20:26

I didn't like any of the parties so I chose not to. If they gave me something to say yes about then I'd vote for them. I'm not voting for people I dont like to do things I dont agree with.

gingersj · 04/05/2007 20:30

Hills, would you vote for none of the above?

Yes, mum did get in....was very scared at being on stage and thought that they would just shake her hand and leave her to it, not give her a round of applause etcetera. She scored 3rd highest and won a seat from another party (not getting political, so wont name parties if you dont mind)

Hillls · 04/05/2007 20:37

I'd vote for someone who was intrested in the down to earth stuff for the benefit of local people but nobody in our area was looking at any of that just in tourism & expanding onto greenbelt for londoners etc. Puting money into things I viewed as pointless. Like rebuilding amusement centres etc

For many years I have been hands on in helping the community, I understand what voting entales but I'm not going to vote for something I dont agree with.

Nightynight · 04/05/2007 20:39

one vote every 5 years, between a very small choice of parties, isn't enough to call Britain a democracy. That's why I dont bother. Its not because I am lazy, its because I have studied and been involved in politics and I cant be bothered any more to prop up the extremely thin facade of pretend-democracy in Britain.

crokky · 04/05/2007 20:40

I have not voted for a few years now and it is not due to lazyness.

There is nobody worth voting for and if there was a box to cross for this, I would do it. They are a bunch of liars!

I do not think that it makes any kind of statement to spoil a ballot paper - some are spoilt because they have been accidentally spoilt and some deliberately - the two are not distinguished so it is a totally pointless thing to do. The counters are not going to show spoilt ballot papers to politicians!!!

Furthermore, those who fought for the vote (particularly the vote for women) would be absolutely disgusted to see people like us just voting for the sake of it. They were good people and wanted to see change - they did not want us to behave like sheep!!

I believe not voting was the most likely way any politician would take notice of me. To call me 'lazy' is not accurate.

MrsWho · 04/05/2007 21:12

My Ward prob consists of over 5000 people , with probably 2500 over 18/eligible to vote, in tonights paper there was about 900 people voted
NOt that we had much choice (Tory/Labour) and no information abot either AND despite being such a close knit community I couldn't find anyone who knew either of them
My Mams area had a really popular local man , works hard etc and he got 800 votes on his own!Just shows the difference.

After the choices in this election I am so very tempted to stand next time.

Original poster
frances5 · 04/05/2007 22:57

Even if politicians are imperfect, at least they are prepared to do an extremely important job. Which would you prefer the country run by the church/ Islamic law or to have all laws made by the Queen or accept our inept politicans?

We need someone to run our country. If you re opened nominations what would happen if there were no further nominations. I agree that it can be hard deciding who to vote for, but if you don't vote the BNP could get in.

OP posts:
twinsetandpearls · 04/05/2007 22:57

1000 is good one of my candidates did not get that

GiantSquirrelSpotter · 04/05/2007 23:12

So, those of you who think voting should be compulsory, would you have fined me for not voting when I was trying to establish BF with my DD?

bloss · 04/05/2007 23:24

Message withdrawn

Sumsey · 04/05/2007 23:27

the main thing that bothers me is people who whinge about "the state of the country and the government", but when you ask them if they have voted they say no! how can they critise if they cannot be bothered to vote!

Original poster
frances5 · 04/05/2007 23:54

GiantSquirrelSpotter, I missed an election when I had bleeding and adominal pain during pregnancy. Its understandable if someone who has a threatened miscarriage, just had a baby or is in labour doesn't vote.

My issue is with the bone idle who have absolutely no excuse and then moan how bad the governant is. I have no objections to those who aren't physically or mentally fit not voting.

Prehaps voting should be treated a bit like jury service. If you are asked to do jury service you cannot get out of it unless you have VERY STRONG reasons for doing so.

OP posts: