Turnout only around 52%

[Houseplanter]

As far as I can tell? Goodness that's low. Almost half the population who is eligible haven't made their choice.

I voted for the least bad option.

In 2019 I did not vote.

Half the adult population were inspired by nobody this time. Politics is in a terrible state.

I have always voted in the past but having to jump through hoops getting extra ID for something which has previously been a right simply by dint of being on the electoral roll was a faff too far.
I am not sure why but I feel very disenfranchised by needing extra proof so I decided to not bother any more.

Just not bothering to vote and then complaining about the state of education, the economy, the health service, the roads etc is absurd and pathetic. If you are disillusioned you need to vote for change, not just moan that nobody else did.

Spoiling votes actually achieves nothing. As a PP said, people died for our right to vote.

Bbc just showed trend of turnout over last 50 or so years. 55% is a lot down from Thatcher era, but about on par with Tony Blairs 3rd election onwards.

I think that's good given this is first election with ID needed, which must have put some half hearted or less organised people off? Not great, but not surprising.

You can't force people to respect you! How absurd.

Respect is earned.

If you do something that strikes others as immature and silly, then of course, they won't respect you. You are not entitled to behave however you like and then demand 'respect' because you wish you'd earned it.

I disagree.

My adult daughter, who has LD, and lives in a supported facility with 1-1care, does not have the capacity to make an informed decision. My MIL, who is in a care home, was apparently not given the opportunity.

A spoilt ballot paper signifies that you turned out, but are completely disenfranchised.

That’s two people from one family.

Mt youngest son was turned away because he hadn’t taken the correct ID. He had asked his partner to send a photo of his photo ID, but it wasn’t accepted. Silly mistake.

That’s three.

There was no realistic vote for change though. Labour has committed to Conservative fiscal policy, you can't reverse the damage without serious investment.

Look at who they stood against Corbyn, "the company owned by Praful Nargund, Labour’s pro-privatisation election candidate standing in Islington North on Thursday, has made nearly £17 million pounds from private healthcare in nine months, Companies House accounts show."

They're just not a credible alternative.

I accept I can't demand respect. My point is I think people should show it.

I am even trying to show it to you even though you are saying something that strikes me as immature and silly by explaining to you why I hold the position I do.

People don't have to vote in our system, and I think people should be allowed to operate within the law and have their choices respected. Choosing not to vote does not mean people don't care about political issues - it means they do not choose to vote. By disparaging them, you make it less likely they will engage with politics in future.

I note that political leaders don't disparage those who don't vote, they seek to engage.

Not voting lumps the apathetic, disengaged and lazy all together. A spoilt ballot paper means you cared enough to vote. If people actually want to send a message to candidates that their vote could have been won then maybe we need spolt ballots in large numbers.

I absolutely respect personal choice, and if one chooses not to vote, for whatever reason, that's absolutely an individual choice.

But, it looks as though we're going to have a party in government, with a huge majority, who will probably have about 40% of the vote, if voter turnout is 52%, that means a party will be governing, with a huge majority, that was voted for by 20.8% of the electorate.

There's a conversation to be had around the FPTP system, but that's what we have and if you don't turn out to vote, this is what we're looking at, which is madness really.

Where I live roughly 50% voted. The voters roughly voted as follows

Labour 47%
Reform 25%
Cons 25%
Other 3%

I'd be a bit scared if the other half had bothered to vote tbh

I'm not surprised - all the people on here and elsewhere who've been saying that 'they are all the same'.

I'm glad not to have raised politically apathetic children.

Apart from 2019, the Tories have mainly ruled whilst being propped up by other parties.

My choice and an awful lot I know was not to vote and we ain't voting just because your supposed to either.

Not true. If a constituency gets a big percentage of spoiled papers they see discontent. If they get a low turnout they see apathy

I think voter ID has had an impact more than the official stat will reveal:

People who didn't realise in time to get ID

People who might have voted but weren't motivated to sort ID

People who forgot on the day/brought something invalid and didn't have time to sort

People who turned up and were asked on the way in - happened to a few people I know - and weren't officially recorded as turned away because they didn't go in

Opting out is hardly ‘making a choice’ . It’s not what the Sufragettes fought for. Staying at home instead of participating in the democratic process is just a cop out. As is spoiling your vote. If you can’t be bothered to vote then don’t bother complaining about the choices politicians make on your behalf.

There are often people who can't be bothered. They never win or effect change. The ones that bother always win.

As long as you don't complain about the government. You lose that right.

There is no excuse. There was information about what ID to take as soon as the election was called. 🤷

Brave people also fought hard for our right to have gay relationships, but it doesn’t mean we should be forced into gay relationships.

We should all be grateful for the right to vote, but we also have the right not to vote if that is our choice. I agree that the turnout is disappointing, but that’s democracy. The right to choose.

Lose the right to complain though.

Absolutely this.

I've seen several mentions of NHS IDs being refused now, in traditional media and on SM.