To not vote today?

[teaandcake32]

Have you voted today and if so who did you vote for?

There aren't elections in Scotland today but if there were, I would have voted. The only time I haven't voted was a European election in the late 90s and I simply couldn't get to the polling station.
I once spoiled a ballot paper because I lived in the Speaker's constituency so none of the major parties stood against him per convention and I didn't feel that we had a fair choice of candidates.

This

Ok phew it's local elections, had me worried as we've not received any postal votes yet.

How do you recycle a postal vote?

Anyone who says that if you don't vote then you can't complain about the outcome is talking bollocks. I don't have faith in any of the candidates, parties or the system, so I won't be voting. Spoiling the ballot paper is pointless as they don't do anything with the figures. Just because I'm not voting doesn't mean that I can't complain if I want to.

We only have PCC elections here, but when I attended the polling station it was busy. I do live in an area with lots of older people though and I think they tend to go during the day, rather than where I lived before where it would be mornings and evenings that would be busiest

Haven't voted. It's only for Police and Crime Commissioner round here and we are away for a funeral.

Only PCC here too. I've just been to vote in the vain hope that the Tory PCC won't get in again.
I expect it will be a very low turnout though.

I disagree about spoiling your paper. Not bothering is apathy, however spoilt papers are counted, and it is the only way we, the electorate, have of saying we did bother to turn up, but want 'none of the above'.

That said, it doesn't help solve the problem, so it is a wasted opportunity.

I just voted for the least bad option. I hate that that is what it comes down to... but its better than the absolute worst winning.

I forgot the Parish elections last year and felt guilty.

PCC only in my patch. I am going to vote later, and will be voting against the incumbent because he's bloody useless.

Voting matters. Last local elections in my area, all three councils flipped. Mine is run by a coalition of Labour, Green and independents. And things are changing for the better.

This!

If you don't vote then don't complain

We have a system where voting isn’t compulsory so how can it really be unreasonable not to, in our area it’s only for a mayor and police commissioner, neither of which will have any real impact on my life, general elections different but it’s still an individual choice

The only election where I live is for the police & crime commissioner. All candidates are representatives of political parties rather than the local community and should be prohibited from standing for such a role in any decent society, so I was obliged to spoil my ballot. If any of them had run on a policy of abolishing the office if they were elected, I might have voted for them.

Yes I have. Voted for the Labour candidate. I was the only one in there.

I havent yet and still don't know who to vote for.

I always vote, as I think you can’t complain really, if you don’t. But, it’s everyone’s choice.🤷‍♀️

My postal ballot hasn't arrived and we're only voting for police commissioner, or whatever it is, anyway. I've had a look at both main candidates and they seem very similar in background so I'm not bothering.
I've probably done more research than most of the people that are voting 🤣

I just don't really think it should be a politicised post either.

So no.

Not today.

I voted today. I always do. That said, picking a candidate was hard. The incumbent party is the only one that bothered to/has the funds and volunteers available to promote their policies and candidate.

I really, really wish more people made the effort. Turnout for local elections is about 25%. People complain their vote doesn't make a difference, but if everyone used their vote maybe it would.

Of course they can. If all of the options are crap, then how can you just select someone out of the blue?

Yes! What you said!

Much better put than me, thankyou.

Those who think spoiling their ballot paper is a good idea, what exactly do you think this will achieve? Do you think the political parties will look at the recorded number of spoiled ballots and think oh no, we have upset the public so much that nobody wants any of us so we’d better all pull our socks up sharpish?

Spoil the ballot paper. It still technically gets recorded as a vote but you don’t pick one of the options.
If the amount of people who didn’t vote did this it would cause a rift in the major political parties. Its essentially like a vote of no confidence.

Nonsense.

Once elected, an MP/counciller etc is duty bound to represent ALL constituents, whether they voted for them, for someone else or not at all. Therefore everyone has the right to comment on their actions.