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Original poster

Will/Have you voted?

125 replies

Hulababy · 09/06/2004 20:19

We have two ballot papers - one for local elections and one for european one.

Dh has just picked up our ballot papers envelopes and realised that these have to be in by 10pm tomorrow evening. Missed last post so he is going to have to take them over to the City Hall tomorrow during the day some time. Ooops!

I have to say that I found the postal voting a bit of a pain as it is so easy to forget if you don't do it as soon as the envelope arrives, which is what we failed to do obviously!

Obviously for me it'd be loads easier if I could do it online as I spend so much time on here

So is everyone remembering to go along to vote, or are you abstaining (choosing the right not to vote I guess)?

OP posts:
Fio2 · 10/06/2004 11:00

We're in Kent and we have the BNP literature through aswell. I am not suprised, there seems some very racist induviduals round here. My husband got set upon outside the tandoori restraunt by 2 men t'other day, slurring racial abuse. I dont think they were quite prepared for his reaction.........

Fio2 · 10/06/2004 11:02

Nondeplume, I think alot of BNP supporters are hooligans aswell tbh

coppertop · 10/06/2004 11:03

Benjaminsmummy - when I voted this morning the ballot paper stated that you just voted for one candidate for the European elections (2 for the local elections). There was no ranking etc involved.

NomDePlume · 10/06/2004 11:07

Of course Fio2, but I was trying to say that the BNP has traditionally always been a 'thugs party' and has been (quite rightly) looked down upon by the majority of voters. Recently, with the influx and furore surrounding asylum seekers and the like the BNP have preyed upon these disillusioned folks with questionable moral standing where racism, homophobia etc is concerned. I think you'd find that the majority of new BNP voters are not particularly racist and/or thuggish. They seem to be badly misguided and sucked in by the BNP's less extremist promises and seem to find it fairly easy to ignore the abhorent core principles.

Tinker · 10/06/2004 11:08

Completely agreee with those who say we should all vote. Feel quite passionate that people died in order that I could do so. Having said that, I've prob spoiled mine since had to reopen the envelope when realised I hadn't put something in it

Benjaminsmummy · 10/06/2004 11:10

Thanks Coppertop - I think DH got confused with the London Mayor Elections where I think you do do a first and second choice?

Anyway as we're not in London will only need to worry about local and European people.

Need DS to wake up so I can vote!

dinosaur · 10/06/2004 11:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

suedonim · 10/06/2004 11:18

I voted this morning after taking dd to school and I walked there so am feeling very virtuous today. We had ten parties/candidates to choose from - the 'Save Our Hills' party was a new one to me!

Fio2 · 10/06/2004 11:24

LOL sue why do they need saving?

Lonelymum · 10/06/2004 11:38

Yes! Like some of you others, I feel it is important to vote because it wasn't so long ago that we couldn't. I get a bit of a buzz from voting though I don't claim to be very interested in politics. I feel I am contributing to the future of the nation.
Wierd to think some of you only have postal votes though. Do you think that is better? I can't imagine it would encourage the apathetic to vote as they still have to think about the candidates and then go out and post their paper. It is not as if getting to a polling station is that hard now that they are open from 7 to 10. Perhaps they should stay open for 24 hours?

Freckle · 10/06/2004 11:44

Well, I very virtuously went out of my way to go and vote this morning, only to be told that I couldn't! Turned out that for certain poll numbers (beginning FAX - I was beginning to think of something else with similar sounding letters ), the poll station hadn't been provided with a register. So could I come back later?

Well, actually, no I couldn't. Oh in that case you can't vote. Actually, yes I can. I have a poll card, I am here at the designated polling station within the designated hours of voting, and I intend to vote. If you (or your bosses) have cocked up by failing to provide the correct register, that is not my problem. I do not believe you have the right to stop me voting.

At which point the presiding officer (very busy on his mobile phone) came over to try and resolve matters. They got round it by checking my details with "head office" who confirmed that I was a genuine voter and so they let me vote. Goodness knows what would have happened if they hadn't confirmed my bona fide-ness, as I had no intention of leaving that polling station without having voted.

As I pointed out to them, there are constant complaints of voter apathy in local and European elections, so why make it so difficult for people to vote when they bother to turn up? If I hadn't caused a stink, I would have had to come back later (which might not have been possible) or not vote.

marialuisa · 10/06/2004 11:47

Postal vote weeks ago. TBH it has made me vote when i suspect i wouldn't have bothered. I always made a pint of voting Plaid in Wales (as much as a protest vote as anything) but don't have that option here.

luckymum · 10/06/2004 12:56

I shall vote today - if only to keep the BNP out.

They are standing in all our local wards and are very likely to get in in at least two - not because the voters are racist bigots (well some are!) but because they are disillusioned by what else is on offer.

OldieMum · 10/06/2004 13:36

I always vote. All our lives are touched by the State, not least because we all use public services, and because politicians in government claim to act in our name, so I think we have an obligation to show this minimal level of involvement in the political process. Voting is compulsory in Australia. What do people think about that?

susanmt · 10/06/2004 13:46

I went 13 miles to my polling station this morning, and had to push start the car as well. Dd actually did the cross in the box for me, I double checked about 15 times that she was putting it in the right box as the ones on either side were total loonies (LOL Labour and Tory, no not really )

I always vote, I don't think I've ever missed one. Last year I had to be let out of hospital for a few hours to do it in the Scottish Parliament Elections!!! Like so many have said, its a fought for right that so many people don't have, and so I will exercise it.

Piffleoffagus · 10/06/2004 14:15

I will vote as well...

pamina3 · 10/06/2004 14:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CountessDracula · 10/06/2004 14:20

I have lost the thingys in the move. No idea where to go. Bugger.

OldieMum · 10/06/2004 14:51

CD - surely your local council's returning officer could tell you where you are down to vote? Try ringing them up.

CountessDracula · 10/06/2004 14:51

good idea will do

prettycandles · 10/06/2004 15:00

What I want to know is why is Polling Day always on a weekday? Why don't we vote on a weekend? All the local primary schools around here are shut today because they are Polling Stations, and that must wreak havoc for the working parents.

prettycandles · 10/06/2004 15:01

And, yes, I've just voted.

CountessDracula · 10/06/2004 15:01

I suppose because a lot more people would be away

Frenchgirl · 10/06/2004 15:21

Will vote on the way back from school with dd. Have always voted in France and here, however I have stopped voting in the French elections since I have been in the UK and I do feel bad about it (especially bad when fascist Le Pen got to the second round of the presidential election and I couldn't vote to make sure he lost)
Have to sort this out....

serenequeen · 10/06/2004 15:32

up to now i would have said i was of the "you must use your vote, people have died to establish democracy, you must have your say" school of thought. however, this time i just do not want to vote for any of the political parties, as none of them represent my views well. i think this is in itself a legitimate democratic choice to make but it seems my options are very limited - i can either (a) not vote - bad for the reasons i mentioned (b) spoil my ballot paper - not a very effective means of protest or (c) make a "protest" vote for some candidate or other that i don't really support. none of these options seems right to me. i wish there was an option to vote for "re-open nominations" as we used to have in our student union elections (way back ahem years ago...)

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