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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Those whose votes don’t influence their seat...

150 replies

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 30/11/2019 21:32

Do you feel less motivated to vote than you wish you did?

To clarify, I will be voting, there’s no chance I won’t. But I do feel a bit flat about the whole thing. I live in a very (understatement!) safe Tory (though this is irrelevant, there must be super safe Labour or other party seats too) seat and I know my vote will never ever make a difference. I know that before walking in there.

How do you find peace with this?

OP posts:
ElinoristhenewEnid · 01/12/2019 09:51

I live in a super marginal - one time it went to difference of 13 votes. Love it - really worth voting and you never know who is going to win!!

Original poster
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 01/12/2019 09:51

Not into the idea of a legal requirement to vote but I wouldn't mind an embargo on people who couldn't be arsed moaning about it after the event.

Did you miss the bit where I said I was going to vote?

OP posts:
Ski4130 · 01/12/2019 09:57

Our local ‘town’s name for Europe’ group are offering to put tactical voters in touch with each other, so you can feel better about your vote. I’m a staunch supporter of a party I can’t vote for here, without that vote helping the tories (which I’m not prepared to do!) but if I switch my vote I can actually probably make a difference to the result. I’m paired up with a lady in another county, who would normally vote for the party I’m voting for, but has to vote for the party I usually would to make a difference. It makes us both fe better about tactical voting to know that we’re both still getting our preferred party a vote 😂

pourmeanotherglass · 01/12/2019 09:59

Im in an extremely safe Labour seat, Labour for 83 years. I would never have voted Tory anyway, but might consider Lib Dem or Green if they had a chance. I hadn't thought about the deposit thing, maybe I'll vote for the Green chap this time.

Roussette · 01/12/2019 09:59

tequilasunrises I think you live where I do, if not the adjoining county! Sounds just like my MP and we have a new labour candidate too.

I met him whilst he was campaigning. Nice guy. Let's hope he or the LD candidate can at least drastically reduce the majority of the idiot who is our MP now.

noodlenosefraggle · 02/12/2019 07:05

Not into the idea of a legal requirement to vote but I wouldn't mind an embargo on people who couldn't be arsed moaning about it after the event
I wouldn't mind a legal requirement to vote. There are so many ways to do it and you could go out and spoil you paper. At least you've engaged

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 02/12/2019 07:50

Another who lives in a aafe seat with a majority of over 20k

And another who has to vote for a candidate that has NOTHING to do with where i live

So the council who sort my bins and roads and police etc...does not have the candidate that i have to vote for . The MP i have to either vote for or uproot is in a neighbouring area

So i cant even vote for a local representative

This was done on purpose in the 70’s

(And yes ill still vote, before anyone’yells’ at me Smile)

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 02/12/2019 08:03

Years ago, when I couldn't bring myself to vote for either the sitting MP or the only other candidate who had a hope in hell of getting in, I voted for the Monster Raving Loony bloke. At the time the other minor candidates were either nutters or way-out extremists, or both.
I enjoyed that little act of rebellion, but I would never not vote,

Jeezoh · 02/12/2019 08:10

I’m a floating voter with no strong affinity to any party but live in a very safe seat. I still vote for the party I prefer (would like to select “none of the above “ this time though), even if it’s not the one that will win.

Redcrayons · 02/12/2019 08:12

Very safe labour seat but always vote.

I think our MP might lose a bit of his majority to the Brexit party, because he's a remainer and we are a leave constituency. People here definitely won't be voting Tory any time soon.

ShatnersWig · 02/12/2019 08:19

I'm in a seat which has been Tory since 1885. They could put up a cauliflower in a blue rosette and it would still walk it. The sitting MP, who is useless, got 60% of the vote last time and the second place candidate was on 20%. My vote is totally and utterly worthless. Even if everyone who voted for other candidates all backed one non-Tory candidate, you still need over half of those who voted Tory last time to switch. In other words, it's never going to happen.

My vote is therefore completely and utterly worthless.

This is why I believe in full PR, not that pointless waste of space one proposed in a referendum a decade ago and which Clegg should have refused. Only then will huge sections of the public actually feel there is a point in voting and that everyone's vote actually counts.

BertrandRussell · 02/12/2019 08:23

I just think of it as chipping away at the majority. I have never lived where the candidate I supported got in. But I always look at the results and think “Oh well, at least that last vote is mine- I’ve made it XXXXX5 not XXXXX4”

wonderstuff · 02/12/2019 08:23

63% tory here, very safe seat. I vote Green, knowing it can't split the opposition vote. I've joined the Greens as I feel if my vote can't change anything maybe my money will (it's not much money but its something).

midnightmisssuki · 02/12/2019 08:30

We are a safe labour but I don’t care / I’m
Voting Tory and pray to god the labour guy gets voted out. Fair few labour people I know round here are voting Tory too.

AuntieMarys · 02/12/2019 08:31

Labour majority of 17000 here. However 17000 didnt vote last time.

BertrandRussell · 02/12/2019 08:43

“The power lies with the people that turn up”

Disfordarkchocolate · 02/12/2019 08:46

I've never voted and felt like my vote counted and its bloody annoying. We need PR if we want people to feel like its always worth voting.

Grasspigeons · 02/12/2019 08:51

We only have 3 candidates - the greens stepped down and there doesnt seem to be any independants or single isse protest parties.

BertrandRussell · 02/12/2019 08:53

So vote for policies. You must have a preference?

Grasspigeons · 02/12/2019 08:56

Oh i do! Im just saying that the choice isnt as wide as some areas. I went to the hustings, asked some questions on issues important to me and have read the manifestos. Is just i know the majority is huge and wanted my protest vote to be about the environment but i dont have that as an option.

ShatnersWig · 02/12/2019 09:06

Bertrand In this election, there are some seats where a party has declined to stand in favour of another party to try and oust an incumbent. That, of course, can also disenfranchise voters - they may well want to vote for, say, Green, because they are the party whose policies they prefer - but they can't vote Green, because they're not standing.

yasle · 02/12/2019 09:25

Why do people on here chastise people for not voting?

I’m not voting because I see it as doing a deal with the devil.

All my options are terrible. I would certainly vote if there was a “none of the above” option.

Voting is a right, not an obligation. There is nobody for me to vote for. And even if you suggest voting for monster raving lp or suchlike, I don’t have that choice. There are only 4 candidates here.

ShatnersWig · 02/12/2019 09:27

yasle Because people campaigned long and hard and died for everyone to have a vote. I would never not vote, but I would spoil my ballot, as that is making an effort to actively protest rather than not bother.

BertrandRussell · 02/12/2019 09:29

“ I’m not voting because I see it as doing a deal with the devil.“

So spoil your ballot paper then. But turn up.

Elphame · 02/12/2019 09:29

I doubt I’ll be voting this time round and if I do it’ll be a spoiled vote.

None of them are fit to govern and I won’t legitimise the govt by my vote