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MNHQ

EU elections, Thursday 23 May: are you voting?

212 replies

RowanMumsnet · 22/05/2019 16:09

Hello

As lots of you will know, eligible electors in the UK can head to the polls on Thursday 23 May to vote in the EU parliamentary elections.

We've put together a page with a few facts about this election in the UK (apologies for not covering other EU countries in any detail but you can find more info here).

Let us know on this thread when you've voted (you don't have to tell us how) and we will reward you with an emoticon of your choice*

Polls are open 7am to 10pm on Thursday and remember you DON'T need your polling card to vote.

*From the existing emoticons - we're not magic

OP posts:
Awrite · 23/05/2019 20:59

I voted SNP. As did dh and my parents.

Polling station was busy (at about 7.15pm) and the chap said it had been steady all day. Busier than he had expected.

Langrish · 23/05/2019 21:08

Notanidiot

Why is it generally remainers who keep insulting leave voters because they voted differently.

PP who have insulted anyone who wishes to vote for Yaxley-Lennon are perfectly justified. Such people ought to feel deeply ashamed of themselves. Of course they don’t, because they’re thick as well as nasty,

Langrish · 23/05/2019 21:10

itscallednickingbentcoppers

Yes Alliance 1 (as always) SDLP 2 Green Party 3 as per the tactical voting sites recommendation.“

We only had one choice? Isn’t it the same countrywide? There were a dozen or so candidates but big signs up saying any more than one cross and the ballot would be discounted?

Langrish · 23/05/2019 21:12

(Nationwide, not countrywide, obvs!)

noodlenosefraggle · 23/05/2019 21:17

I do hope Labour HQ are reading this.

All my Dh's Corbynite friends do in the face of opposition ( and to my irritation, him to some extent) is to find ways to discredit or mock to accuser. Their lack of self awareness is part of the reason why they are in the state they are in.

noodlenosefraggle · 23/05/2019 21:19

Langrish NI have a different voting system because apparently, the DUP are perfectly happy for them to have separate rules to the rest of the UK when it suits them...

Tavannach · 23/05/2019 21:21

@Jon65

The Guardian was asking voters in Europe who hadn't received papers in time to contact them. They also published this article.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/23/eu-citizens-denied-vote-european-election-polling-booths-admin-errors

Langrish · 23/05/2019 21:23

Thanks, noodlenosedfraggle. Oh FFS is what immediately springs to mind Grin

OopNorfDahnSarf · 23/05/2019 21:33

Voted

MulticolourMophead · 23/05/2019 21:46

Our area often has a poor turnout for the EU elections, unless it's at the same time as a general election.

However, DD and I voted. DD for the first time. Lib Dem for both of us.

YeOldeTrout · 23/05/2019 22:03

Gosh. 24/73 UK MEPs were elected from UKIP in 2014.

So.... BrexitParty+UKIP (+EDs or other alt right) have to do better than 24/73 to say they have 'gained' in the EU elections.

I wonder what will happen.

Remember when UKIP gained hugely in local elections and then what happened to them since. Hmmm.

Tavannach · 23/05/2019 22:24

As Labour and Conservative have more or less disintegrated it's likely that the Brexit party will do better than UKIP did five years ago. Will the total number of votes outnumber the total number of leave votes? It's Labour that's muddying the water on that one. Thanks, Jez.
The future is anyone's guess. Nige is facing different investigations.

Tavannach · 23/05/2019 22:25

Remain votes, obvs

noodlenosefraggle · 23/05/2019 22:27

Will we get any indication of votes soon, or is it radio silence until Sunday?

chemenger · 23/05/2019 22:38

Paid a small fortune to get proxy vote forms in on time when it was obvious the postal votes had no chance of getting to us in the US and back again, DD voted for the first time and cast two Lib Dem votes, plus her own.

giggly · 23/05/2019 22:50

SNP here Smile

Tiscold · 23/05/2019 23:07

Radio silence til sunday, all nations have to of had their votes before another country can announce otherwise it could sway the voters of another country to vote in a certain way.

The only way you're going to have an inkling is by looking at what people have told you they've voted, but obviously mumsnet isn't really representative of the uk and especially not the brexiteer side of it.

itscallednickingbentcoppers · 23/05/2019 23:12

@Langrish yes as @noodlenosefraggle mentioned we use the Single Transferable Vote system.

DeRigueurMortis · 23/05/2019 23:21

I voted.

Change UK got my vote.

Acis · 23/05/2019 23:49

I always wonder about the thought processes of people who spoil their ballot papers by writing down why they’re not voting, or why they don’t like any of the candidates. Do they seriously imagine that whoever sees it is going to lay their vote reverently aside for posterity, or give them to the candidates so that they can reflect on their shortcomings? I suspect that at best the tellers just glance at the papers, think “pillock”, and chuck them on the “spoiled” pile, and certainly there is no chance that anyone ever reads what has been written.

I know people say that the fact that they’ve chosen not to use their vote is significant in itself, but of course no-one ever knows where a spoiled ballot is a meaningful political gesture or the result of someone failing to read the instructions properly. And if you are making that gesture, surely you could achieve the same thing in a less wanky way just by putting a line across the paper or something.

Tavannach · 24/05/2019 00:15

Spoiled papers have to be shown to candidates to agree that they're spoiled, and disregarded from the tally. There's plenty of time at a count to do this.

This is what happens when you spoil your ballot paper

Acis · 24/05/2019 00:29

But do the candidates either care or learn anything from it? If someone writes "idiot" or "liar" or "lefty" or "I won't vote for anyone who supports May", does anyone seriously believe they creep away in shame, resolving to mend their ways, or tell TM that she must mend hers because DissatisfiedVoter wrote those incandescent words?

DeRigueurMortis · 24/05/2019 00:32

Spoiling your paper is a valid action in the sense that they are counted.

I can understand why people do it, especially if there is genuinely no candidate you feel able to vote for. It's a protest vote against what's on offer. That's a legitimate "non vote" imho because you are communicating your position.

Not voting on the other hand I feel is a dereliction if your civic duty and I remain surprised by just how many people have an opinion on the state of British politics but can't be arsed to visit the polling station.

Tavannach · 24/05/2019 00:34

No, they don't creep away in shame. They don't creep away in shame in the vast majority of constituencies where most of the electorate has voted against them either. But the dissatisfied voter has a voice and has used it. That's the important point.

ilovesooty · 24/05/2019 00:39

I'm a lifelong Labour voter and card carrying member. I voted for the Liberal Democrats as the strongest Remain party.