Candidate rep only asking for my DH

[NewtGuineaPig]

First time ever having someone come to the door before an election. The rep asked for my DH by name, asked if there was a good time to come back and talk to him later, very keen. No interest in me whatsoever although I'm on electoral roll too. Neither of us registered members of political party. Would you not be trying to get the votes of everyone living at that address? He was already at my front door! Just seems a bit bizarre.

I would take that as an indication of how the party concerned feels about the value of woemn in general, and vote accordingly. How rude of the rep!

Which party was it?

This.

They are working off a list, it may be your DH is listed as a supporter of the party somehow - for example as a result of signing a data harvesting exercise petition.

I didn’t think canvassing was allowed on election day. And why come to your house today, you/DH could well have already voted come 11am 🤷‍♀️🤔

Whether they're working off a list or not, the optics of asking to speak to the man of the house are not great.

It was the Lib Dems.
DH doesn't tend to sign petitions or spend a lot of time online.
I was a member of Labour party 10+ years ago at another address, I can't imagine that they would know that and decide not to bother to try and win my vote based on that.

Oh, fuck 'em.

I am already not voting Lib Dem because of their views on women's rights.

My husband got a letter from Labour addressed to him and him only, by name, no letter for me, confirms Labour's view of women. Both on the electoral role, neither members of any political party.

If you're already on the doorstep surely you'd at least have a go at persuading another potential voter even if not on your list?

Last election my DH got two letters from LD addressed to him. Guess how many I got?

Not if your task is to knock up known supporters.

They didn't ask to speak to the man of the house, they asked by name?

They won't link your addresses over that time period.

Have you ever answered a canvasser or signed a 'petition' yourself?

Because you may be on their list as Labour, in which case on polling day they would ignore you.

Polling day is about getting the (known) vote out, not persuading unknowns. No time to waste!

They're probably working to a list of specific demographics, so as you're not, for example, a 30 year old male in a two bed house they're not interested. And yes, you may well be on a list of Labour members still.

Not great optics though, to not even engage with you.

As far as I know DH has only ever voted Labour.
They asked by name.

You expected them to waste time talking to YOU, a WOMAN??

Talk about entitled.

Now off you go and bake hubby a nice apple pie. Don’t worry your pretty little head about politics.

At one point there was a long awkward pause and I thought he might ask.

Whereas I, a woman, have had lib dem and labour fliers directly addressed to me this election. And DH has had none. It's not always about mysogeny

Haha, will do!
I'll just vote however my DH tells me like a good wife.

My husband got a letter from the Tories addressed only to him and I didn't.

It doesn't mean anything about how they view women, it's just what they've got on a database somewhere. Absolutely no thought went into it beyond clicking the mailmerge button.

I know Mumsnet is pretty single issue focused, but this is reaching a bit.

I do think it's hilarious though that so many of you think that someone is going through lists of names and pulling off all the men folk. Like anyone actually has time to do that sort of thing.

I knew this was going to be about Lib Dem. Everything that has come through our door from them has only been addressed to my husband.

it made me rage

I had sonething from the tories addressed solely to me and I wouldn't vote Tory in a month of Sundays. Must just have pulled my name from somewhere.

I had that At the last general election. They only wanted to talk to dd. I refused to vote for them after that.