European elections.... I don't understand

[Happygolucky009]

Perhaps I am being dim, just been to vote in the European elections. There was a wide range of parties (approx7) with most naming 5 candidates standing.

Local elections recently, 2 parties with 4 candidates in total.

Why so many european candidates when we are leaving Europe and why so few options with local elections....

Why?

The voting systems are completely different.

There should be a basic guide somewhere on the BBC website.

(Some of us still hope that the sense kicks in and the whole Brexit “let’s shoot everyone in the head” bollocks is scrapped.)

We use the d'hondt method for voting in European elections.

Each party puts forward x number of candidates in a specific order
Voters vote for a party rather than candidate.

So if your region the Happy Party gets most votes they are awarded the first seat (of however many your region has) - which will go to the first named candidate of the Happy Party.

If the Happy Party won 30% of the vote, that is then slashed to 15%

If no other party won more than 15% of the vote, then the Happy Party gets the second seat - going to the second named candidate.

etc

here's a primer from the BBC with a worked example

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27187434

I realise I only explained half the method but the bbc primer is better than my explanation so I thought I'd c&p that instead...

I haven't had the time to read all the manifestos so might end up not voting at all.

I haven't had the time to read all the manifestos so might end up not voting at all.
🙁🙁I wish people wouldn't even say this. It's a big kick in the teeth for everyone who has been disenfranchised.

I wish people wouldn't even say this. It's a big kick in the teeth for everyone who has been disenfranchised.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Could you explain further?

There are thousands of people who want to vote who can't because of admin problems.

There are thousands of people who want to vote who can't because of admin problems

I fail to see the link. Is it similar to the 'eat your vegetables, there are starving children in Africa' trope?

*I think cliche would be a better word than trope.

I don't know for sure but I wonder if Ces6 is referring to Europeans living in UK that have been denied their legal right to vote today because of admin issues (partly I think down to the short notice/lack of capacity for LA's) - on twitter there is a hashtag #deniedmyvote.

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

Yes. Thanks for the link Myrtle. It was all over the news so I thought it was clear.

Well said @myrtleWilson