AIBU to think it is pointless voting (long sorry)

[biddyofsuburbia]

I will tell you why. Until now I would have said that it is imperative that everyone exercises their democratic right to vote, that if you don't bother you've got no right to moan after an election because you have forfeited your right to a say (and so on).

Now I find myself living in a constituency that has a very very good Lib Dem MP, someone who works hard for the local community and who has a great attendance record in parliament. I honestly think he's a decent chap & a good MP.

However, what if I want a change of government and what if I don't necessarily want the Lib Dems to win overall?

The situation is that this is considered such a safe seat by all parties that there has been absolutely no campaigning by anyone (the lib dems have leaflet dropped but that is it) I have heard hide nor hair of the conservatives/labour/ukip/greens or anyone else for that matter. All the main parties have candidates standing but they can't be bothered to try and contest the seat properly. What has annoyed me even more this morning that on the drive home from the school run I saw the tories leafleting literally on the other side of the railway line from where I live which is in the neighbouring constituency for Zac Goldsmith, I mean really on the other side of the boundary. GREAT!! .

SO, given all that I feel completely disenfranchised and am really feeling pretty pissed off about the whole thing. I feel like my vote just doesn't count for anything. Maybe with electoral reform this could change but I really feel like it is absolutely pointless voting. If the main parties have looked at this as a done deal then a) they don't deserve my vote and b) there is no point. Or is there?

Someone tell me AIBU and someone tell me why. I don't have much time for politics at the best of times but in such an important election I want to know why I should bother to think about the manifestos and then vote when at the minute it just seems a futile endeavour.

YABU (short sorry).

did you read my post? Why?

Who do you want to represent your constituency? Vote accordingly.
Or, if constituency is less important than party, vote for party.
Individually we are all pretty powerless, but together it adds up.
Your position is no different from millions of others. Only some constituencies are exciting races. I think you are being a bit unreasonable. That's democracy.

Because it might not be such a safe seat.

Where I lived in '97 Portillo thought he had a safe seat and did very little campaigning - well he did have a 17% majority.

Boy did we have a good party that night!! We were saving the champagne for the actual general election result but we opened it a couple of hours early.

Thanks London but I guess what is annoying me is that whilst I might not want to vote lib dem the other candidates have done nothing. Is that the same in other so called 'safe seats'? I will vote, but I just feel really annoyed and I suppose that means I should vote for the party with the best options for electoral reform, which ironically may even be the lib dems. I know IABU really but I just want someone to give me a bloody good reason why my vote counts when I feel like it just doesn't.

biddy why don't you email your local candidates/parties and tell them what you've told us?

I'm in a constituency that has changed boundaries - it used to be a safe tory seat but with the change, they're all out campaigning. Never saw them in the past. But I still voted because I think it's part of being a member of society - I take an interest in what happens locally and nationally, therefore I vote.

Labour gained Hove in 1997! Not all seats are as safe as you think.

If you don't vote, it makes the vote of someone who has voted for the winner count more...

you know you get 2 votes, don't you? a local one and a national one. So you can vote lib Dem in locally and Labour, for example, nationally.

biddy - thinking about it...I suspect the reason you have seen little or no sign of the other candidates in your constituency is that their teams have been drafted into nearby constituencies where they feel they have a more realistic chance of winning. You mentioned Richmond PArk constituency and Zac Goldsmith. Chances are your local Tory team (maybe not your candidate who is trawling your constituency single handed) have been drafted in to help Goldsmith in what is widely acknowledged to be a very close race with the sitting Lib Dem.

london you are probably right - hadn't thought of that and I guess the nature of the beast is such that it is all about channelling resources into the areas which will reap the most returns.

Am feeling more inspired everyone's comments so far, and I may well get in touch with the constituency offices of the other parties. And yes, Iggly I agree that it is my social responsibility. Realistically no democratic system is perfect anywhere in the world, so IABU but I still feel a bit

I suppose like many voters, even if I felt that my vote could change something / or anything there really is no one party that I feel I can totally align myself with & add to that the council elections / local vs. national issues and I feel more confused than ever. It is ironic that here we have a lib dem controlled council who are pretty useless and a lib dem MP who (individually) is great at his job.

Just looked at the David Cameron is egged thread and back to feeling damned gloomy! GhostInTheBackOfYourHead has put a link to voterpower.org and apparently in my constituency each voter has the equivalent of 0.131 votes ?!!!!!

Biddy - even if you don't vote you must at least spoil your ballot paper. Spoilt papers get counted and so it does mean something, much more than simple 'voter apathy'. I'm in a safe seat with an excellent Tory MP who I will be voting for, but I've seen no campaigning at all as yet, from anyone (though I did see my MP lurking around just up the road the other day. He waved at me as I drove past).

I'm in a Labour safe seat and the only leaflet I've got has been from the Tories. Even if the Labour candidate (the current MP) puts something through my door I won't be voting for him as he couldn't be bothered to answer a letter I sent to him. Its no good if they only care during election times is it?

YABU
because women died so we could vote and in democracy has been fought for for centuries and continues to be

My vote apparently is also worth about 0.131 votes but my candidate/previously elected MP doesn't think so - he is leafleting constantly and is out and about all the time. It does help - I was probably going to vote for him anyway but his visibility is a plus. One of the other candidates is quite active through the letterbox too and although I will vote for her when hell freezes over, at least i know who she is!

YANBU at all to feel disaffected but don't allow politicians' priorities to determine your action Get out there and vote, and if there is something that your MP votes for that you dislike, get on his/her back when they're elected.

agree YABU

because if everyone thought like that nothing would ever change, ever - and we wouldn't even have a democracy.

And because as florence says, women died so we could do it. And not that long ago either in historical terms. If we didn't have the right we would be up in arms and fighting - so use it!

campaign. If you want someone else in, drop the leaflets yourself. knock on doors yourself. your problem is you see campaigning as something others do - and are failing to do. Do it yourself.

Thanks for all the comments last night. I will vote - have had the kick up the arse I needed.

But JustMyTwoPenceWorth I see where you are coming from - if I had done my research and joined a party maybe I would get involved as apathy is probably the worst of all states - but I won't be campaigning any time soon as I couldn't in all honesty really promote any of the parties.

What I wanted is to see the people that really are aligned and believe in a party political pov to be active here and tell me why they are the best equipped to lead our country and change things for the better. They are not, quite probably because of what london said.

Still that in a way is a kick up the behind to do my homework and be able to make an informed decision. It's hard when you see the leader's debates because none of them inspire me (I also find the sterile atmosphere really really weird!) - in my head I am arguing with them all, and yet in reality I wouldn't have the knowledge or experience to challenge them. Each party has some policies I think would work and quite a few that I think are sheer madness.

All I can do is use my vote, tiny as it may be, fortunately I've still got time to make up my mind who for even if it makes bugger all difference. As my inspiration I will take your points & consider the women who fought for the vote and the fact that this version of democracy is still better than none at all.