AIBU to not vote in the election

[IThinkIJustShatMyself]

Last week I got an email from my manager asking me to visit a different office to meet with some clients. Office is 3 hours away by train and meeting is 10.30-3.30. Leaving some ‘wiggle room’ for traffic/delays/meeting running over, the office have booked my trains to leave home at 6.30 and arriving at my home station by 7.30pm. This isn’t usually a problem, but I’ve just realised that it’s the day of the election. I’ll have to go from the train station to my parents to collect my children, so I’m looking at not getting home until 8.30 at the earliest. I’ve just checked and my polling station is open from 7-9 and I’m too late to apply for a postal vote. I’ve always voted in previous elections but I just don’t see how I’ll manage to vote this time! WIBU to not vote? Or is there a way to nominate a proxy to vote for me? Or can I vote somewhere other than my local polling office?

I have a proxy. I wrote to the local authority and applied. Do you know anyone who votes the opposite to you? Ask them not to attend and you won't. I did that once with an honest Tory friend. When I genuinely couldn't.

Polling stations have to be open until 10, they can't just arbitrarily shut at 9! I'd double check this. But you can still apply for an emergency proxy vote even on the day of the election

You don’t have to vote if you don’t want to. As someone who grew up in a country with compulsory voting I regularly enjoy using my right not to vote in this country.

Polling stations close at 10pm

I regularly enjoy using my right not to vote in this country

You don’t employ the corresponding right not to have an opinion on the outcome though.

If you're voting Tory feel free not to vote. If Labour, please find the time

Thanks everyone who was helpful! A lot of you said it was 10 and you’re right! I’ve checked and obviously misread the closing time. I’ll drag the kids along (big kid loves voting, little one is too young to care!)

Glad you're sorted, OP.

@RoomOfRequirement my thoughts exactly

@IThinkIJustShatMyself

YABU. Unless you are not going to be in the country that day, there is no reason to not vote. The polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. ALL of them. Virtually every employer will make allowances for people to be able to vote.

And if you were going abroad, you'd have known about it weeks back - months probably.

My best friend and her DH have a trip planned that day that has been planned 3 months and is non-refundable. Their coach goes at 8.30 am. (From the town 10 minutes drive away.) Guess what? They are voting at 7.30am before they go. Everyone on that day trip is. They are due back at 9pm, so could go then, but they don't want to risk the bus getting back late.

@IThinkIJustShatMyself

Ooops, I should have read page 2 of the thread (past the 25th post!)

I see you are going now. (sorry...)

The chances of Labour winning outright and Corbyn being prime minister are very slim. The conservatives would ruin this country if they had no counter to their plans so the best we can hope for (IMO) is another balanced (hung) parliament where parties have to work together to move forward. So I think if you’re worried about Labour being blamed for brexit, this is an unfounded fear and if you want to vote Labour you should.

Crap, wrong thread!

I think you can proxy vote, unsure how, Google it and they'll have some info. Also don't all polling stations close at 10pm?

I had this problem (well thought I did, until training was cancelled). Meant to be in training for 10 (hours journey) then back to home city and running groups until 10pm so would have struggled. I decided that I would get up early and go early to vote, if needed. As I say trainings been cancelled so that no longer has to happen. But I would have done it somehow.

I don't mean to be rude, but not feeling up to it after a long day is a pretty poor reason not to vote! Surely a bit of tiredness is worth it, to have some say in who runs our country and decides so many things that affect our life? You could take your kids with you before going home, you could go before getting them, you could pop out later.