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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Oh fuck I forgot to vote

104 replies

Icedlatteplease · 05/05/2023 00:30

Left home for work before 7am have s long commute and the car is messing up a previous back injury so came home exhausted and in pain.

I just completely and utterly forgot.

OP posts:
HoldingTheDoor · 05/05/2023 09:31

I missed a General election once because my Grandmother was dying in hospital and we'd been sitting with her all day and we were physically and mentally exhausted and completely forgot about it. It still bugs me that I missed one but I figure I had a good excuse.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 05/05/2023 09:31

Inthebathagain · 05/05/2023 06:05

Well, if the person you would have voted for loses by one vote, then you should kick yourself.

Set up postal voting. So much easier.

I've actually reverted back to a physical ballot because I always forgot to post my ballot on time and had to drop it in to the polling station anyway.

HoldingTheDoor · 05/05/2023 09:31

I vote by post now.

IpanemaChica · 05/05/2023 09:34

I went with my dd18 after school and it was lovely seeing her all grown up and voting for the first time. Took a 📷Smile

Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 09:43

I also forgot but none of the major parties stand a hope in hell in local elections here so I think we're safe.

Original poster
Icedlatteplease · 05/05/2023 09:45

redspottedmug · 05/05/2023 08:40

Also you an arrange an emergency proxy if you are unexpectedly away eg for work or in hospital. The election team work tirelessly to enable everyone to vote. Saying 'I forgot' is pathetic IMO.

You really ought to walk in someone else's shoes before you call what they do pathetic🙄🙄🙄

I have one close family member dying in hospital. Another immediate the verge of prolonged hospitalisation. I got a job this year after not having worked for 14 years because the prolonged hospitalisation means at some point soon I will have 8 weeks before the household has no income whatsoever. I had a serious injury last year that means the whole of my back is sometimes excruciatingly painful. Oh and I'm not sleeping great as I probably have PTSD from the cause of the back injury (on waiting list for official diagnosis).....

Quite frankly who is town Councillor, on a counsel that is epically shit whether it is left or right, is this second, about the least important thing in my life this second.

Still epically frustrating I forgot as I had remembered in the car to work yesterday morning.

OP posts:
Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 09:51

Just out of curiosity did others get polling cards for this election? I didn't and a few other people locally I've talked to have said they didn't either. I was wondering if this was a new thing generally or just locally? Usually I pop them on fridge and it reminds me to vote.

Original poster
Icedlatteplease · 05/05/2023 09:53

Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 09:51

Just out of curiosity did others get polling cards for this election? I didn't and a few other people locally I've talked to have said they didn't either. I was wondering if this was a new thing generally or just locally? Usually I pop them on fridge and it reminds me to vote.

Yeah mines still sitting there on the fridge!!!🙄🤣🤣

OP posts:
User85398653 · 05/05/2023 09:57

Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 09:51

Just out of curiosity did others get polling cards for this election? I didn't and a few other people locally I've talked to have said they didn't either. I was wondering if this was a new thing generally or just locally? Usually I pop them on fridge and it reminds me to vote.

Was there definitely an election in your area, there wasn't in ours

redspottedmug · 05/05/2023 10:01

Sorry you are having such a hard time. If you don't care about the outcome why start a thread? 🤷‍♀️

Hotfootgoose · 05/05/2023 10:04

It’s RIshi or Starmer….yeah I was stuck in traffic too and also I hate both of them…

FatOaf · 05/05/2023 10:07

There is an argument that the right to vote also is the right to chose not to vote. Free country and all that

There is also an argument that the fewer people vote, the more likely it becomes that extremists take over. I am personally in favour of voting being compulsory. But, then again, I'm in favour of doing a lot of things to limit people's "right" to decide not to engage with society.

Thebestwaytoscareatory · 05/05/2023 10:14

LadyKenya · 05/05/2023 08:48

People have the right to choose whether they wish to vote, or not. They have a choice!

Show quote history

Indeed they do, but if you don't vote you don't get to moan about how the council/country is run.

Politicians don't care if they're elected by on a turnout of 1% or 100%, there's no impact on their authority or powers based on how many people voted overall.

If 20%, 30%, 60% of voters turn up and spoil their cards it becomes much more difficult for politicians to ignore the dissatisfaction of the electorate.

Megifer · 05/05/2023 10:16

I forgot too, but then remembered I wasn't going to vote anyway, so it was ok 😬

Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 10:17

@User85398653
Yes got a leaflet from the local party through a while a go and it says pending results on results checker.

PsychoHotSauce · 05/05/2023 10:18

FatOaf · 05/05/2023 10:07

There is an argument that the right to vote also is the right to chose not to vote. Free country and all that

There is also an argument that the fewer people vote, the more likely it becomes that extremists take over. I am personally in favour of voting being compulsory. But, then again, I'm in favour of doing a lot of things to limit people's "right" to decide not to engage with society.

Maybe those that want to be voted for should inspire voters then. I couldn't care less, I'm politically homeless and none of my local options make me want to take time out of my day to get behind them. Nor do I wish to take time out of my day to spoil my ballot.

I don't care enough, and that's on them. I dont moan about them either though.

FlameGrilledSquirrel · 05/05/2023 10:19

If the 30% turnout locally to me is anything to go by, you're not alone.

Original poster
Icedlatteplease · 05/05/2023 11:15

redspottedmug · 05/05/2023 10:01

Sorry you are having such a hard time. If you don't care about the outcome why start a thread? 🤷‍♀️

Ummm...

I'm not sure I'd thought beyond "fuck I forgot to vote" and as a single person who couldn't sleep the best place to share that thought was Mumsnet.

I have thought about it more since posting. I do feel the impprtance of the the political system to bring about change. However having voted for change last time only to find I switched politically misaligned for chronically incompetent. My values don't feel so nobel when faced with the reality. I have a lot of sympathy for @PsychoHotSauce. Maybe voting would have been more important if the choice more inspired.

It's a bit like having a definite principle (it's pathetic to forget to vote) that seems somewhat less meritorious when held up to real life

OP posts:
VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 05/05/2023 11:18

ChairFloorWall · 05/05/2023 06:23

I postal vote, don’t know why more people don’t! So much easier.

I postal vote. But didn’t get a card for our last election, wasn’t until the day of voting that I knew it was on.

ChairFloorWall · 05/05/2023 11:19

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 06:48

Because I don't want to. I like the process of voting in person & for me, it's less faff.

Show quote history

How is it less faff? You literally just get the vote in the post and pop it in the post box when you pass one.

KnickerlessParsons · 05/05/2023 11:19

AngeloMysterioso · 05/05/2023 02:02

I didn’t even know it was today. I normally receive a polling card which I pop on the fridge as a reminder but haven’t had one this time for some reason.

Although fuck knows who I’d have voted for anyway, I’ve been politically homeless for some time now.

Quite a few areas of the country haven't been voting today. There haven't been any elections where I live.

HadalyEve · 05/05/2023 11:20

I’m registered for postal vote and only this morning realised I’d never gotten my postal vote pack? Yet I have no idea how to pursue this issue and think it shouldn’t be such a pita when I took the effort to register for postal vote.

Original poster
Icedlatteplease · 05/05/2023 11:24

FatOaf · 05/05/2023 10:07

There is an argument that the right to vote also is the right to chose not to vote. Free country and all that

There is also an argument that the fewer people vote, the more likely it becomes that extremists take over. I am personally in favour of voting being compulsory. But, then again, I'm in favour of doing a lot of things to limit people's "right" to decide not to engage with society.

That's interesting and when I read it I thought maybe you were right. It makes sense that if you feel strongly about a strongly held belief you will be more likely to attract others who also feel strongly and extreme beliefs are often the most strongly held, like ukip and brexit

But then

It didn't work for corbyn😁🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
SquidwardBound · 05/05/2023 11:27

I forgot about it too, and only remembered when I walked past the polling station. But, as I didn’t have any photo ID on me, I couldn’t vote.

Dragging the toddler back home to get some and then to the polling station to vote for a bunch of candidates I know little about and who seem to make little difference to my life when the lib dem
candidate in my ward is elected every time (but they never control the council anyway) didn’t seem worth it.

Which is to say… I wonder to what extent the new ID requirements have depressed the numbers of people voting. It was pretty much inevitable that would happen when the government decided to introduce an obvious barrier to people voting.

SquidwardBound · 05/05/2023 11:28

ChairFloorWall · 05/05/2023 11:19

How is it less faff? You literally just get the vote in the post and pop it in the post box when you pass one.

Show quote history

The polling station is actually closer to my house than the nearest postbox.