Ignorance regarding voting is rife

[DistinguishedSocialCommentator]

With the GE around the corner, I read too many times some people banging on about: "You must vote..... women died for the right to vote. etc etc" - then at times you get, "My great grandfather/etc/etc for your freedom so you should vote,etc,etc!"!

People around the world fought for their freedom from the Nazis. It was freedom we retained with millions of armed personnel and civilians losing their lives.
Freedom is the right to choose!!

AIBU to feel that ignorance is rife regarding voting, IE many lack the basic understandings of a 'right to vote' Vs mandatory voting??

FYI, I'm posting from London/England. At times I feel that a lot of these posters may be posting from Russia, China, Australia, North Korea etc as voting there is mandatory I believe and you are not given the freedom to decide.

Scenario!! Come the GE and I have a choice to vote for Labour, Conservatives, Greens, Libs, Refrom, Independent, Etc, ETC. Why should I vote for any of them as I do not just trust my local candidates and nor do I trust at all any political party they represent as things stand!!

I guess, if they had a Jackass as a candidate with the above, I'd vote for that animal.

Finally, everyone that is a citizen of England must have the right to vote when aged 18 and over. Importantly, the right/freedom to refrain from voting must be upheld as this is what my great-grandparents nd their parents fought for!!!

Thank you.

I know!

What's a Jackass?

It sounds very American.

Will you be voting in the Great British General Election?

I'm not sure if Australia is run by a dictator but other than Australia, the other countries where voting is mandatory are run by one the whole, dictators hence the mandatory you have to vote, or esle!!

Yes, those repressed dictatorial countries like...Belgium! And Greece, Luxembourg, Costa Rica and many other properly democrat countries.

Try and educate yourself occasionally before spouting nonsense OP.

The point is those countries along with Australia have mandatory voting

My point is as per my OP

Voting must be a right for those 18 and over but we must retain the freedom of choice, IE to vote or not vote!!

It's "nonesense" because you and others like mind disagree

What you are saying is complete nonsense. Just because the people of those countries were bullied into making voting mandatory does mean that one's freedom of choice has been greatly reduced

Why would any sensible person want to be forced into voting - it is just not sensible and a slap in the face for those that gave their lives to keep millions free from the Nazis

I'm not joking. If voting was indicated to become mandatory, I would take to the streets, a first for me but that is how passionate I ama bout freedom of choice!!

Of course voting isn’t mandatory. A cursory look at voter turnout would have told you that and the fact that most people don’t think it is mandatory. I think my constituency is just under 60% voter turnout, that’s a long way from everyone believing it is mandatory.

However, we have a democracy and our elected representatives should represent the whole of their area. That doesn’t just include the one demographic, the demographic that usually votes. What people are saying is that within living memory, women weren’t able to vote and some women died to give everyone the right to vote. So that women like them could be involved in the decisions that affect them, to get a representative reflection of that area and it’s needs.

Every fight for the right to vote has been hard won. People shouldn’t just not turn up because “they’re a bunch of clowns”. It’s an insult to everyone who fought and it changes nothing. It’s also not ridiculous to say don’t vote, don’t complain. Other than running for MP yourself it is the only way for people to get involved and try to make a difference. I think that given the younger generation is well and truly screwed, yet they are the demographic with the lowest turnout we should be highlighting how important our right to vote is. Reminding people of our right not to vote is really not that important until voter turnout is consistently much higher in every constituency.

Who said it was "mandaotory"

The OP states cleary the ignorance of those that make out it to be a crime if you don't vote!!

Sorry, I will never vote for a lying, two faced clown that believes those that vote for him/her are fools!! More importantly, the party they represent behaves like that!!

Well spotted 👀

Finally, everyone that is a citizen of England must have the right to vote when aged 18 and over.

What about the rest of the UK?

Then instead of bitching and moaning and doing fuck all, run yourself. If you don’t agree with any of the national parties run as an independent. Otherwise you just can’t be arsed to even try and change the system and using the right not to vote as an excuse to do nothing. But still moan when you don’t agree.

Calm down dear!!
I will retain my freedom of choice and that remains a fact!!

Anyone can retain their freedom of choice .

But all choices come with consequences.

I spwnd over decade in UK itching to vote, but could. Seeing people just siaregard their option to do so is... Frustrating to be honest

OP, I don’t think anyone in the UK thinks voting is mandatory. I would encourage people to vote, and if they dislike all the candidates to spoil their paper, because there are so many who simply can’t be bothered. But your assertion that people don’t know the difference between right to vote vs mandatory voting is frankly absolutely barking.

Everybody has the right not to vote in the UK, OP. Why have you got yourself all excited about something that is neither happening, nor going to happen?

As for telling the women here to 'calm down' you might do well to remember that if you're going to try to be condescending, it helps a lot to be in a position from which to condescend.

You’ll retain your right to do fuck all? Excellent! Well done. I’m glad you’ve started a whole threat about your fight to do bugger all, so insightful.

That poat was supposed to aay I couldn't vote

We don't matter, typically only England appears to be relevant. I am very much of the mind voting in all of the UK should be mandatory. However would happily have a none of the above box for those who really can't take the time to look at what is offer and make a informed opinion that relates to themselves

Apparently, just the "English" one.

Who is he/she??

Is this a Monty Python sketch?

Bunfight maker usually. Attempted one

Why are you thanking us?

I don't think it's ignorance; more a difference of opinion: some people feel as if everyone should be obligated to vote, others feel it's a matter of choice and the choice includes not voting at all. Personally I think it's worth going to the polls and spoiling one's ballot if there's no way you can bring yourself to vote for any candidate; this at least reduces the % of voters voting for each candidate and improves the turnout figures. However, people will differ on whether it's worth the trouble or not.

You don't have to vote, but as my father used to say: If you don't vote, don't moan after. Seems situational: if you don't vote then it's a bit hypocritical to complain that you got Tories instead of Labour (or vice versa) or didn't get the MP you wanted. But if you're complaining now that none of the candidates/parties are any good from your perspective, the election isn't going to change that whether you vote or not.

Also, and tangentially: it's a UK General Election; people from all four countries can vote in it. As can Irish and Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK. And absolutely no one has English citizenship. However, it's kind of shocking not just that someone posted "we're all English" but that several posters agreed with it! 😲The OP at least seems to know that the legal voting age differs by UK constituent country.

It seems to me that when people say you must vote that they do not mean that legally you are required to vote. I think they mean that, in their view, voting is the morally right thing to do.

I'd be surprised if your reading of their meaning is the correct one. The very fact that they site that people have died for the right to vote (and not using a legal reason) leads me to this opinion.