** Official MN Election Night Thread - let's hold hands and wait together **

[MmeLindt]

Just starting this so that we can all post our thoughts throughout the day.

My wish for today is that as many people as possible GO OUT AND VOTE.

I cannot vote as I have been living abroad for over 15 years so if anyone wants to vote for me, I would like to vote for Gordon Brown. Voting by MN proxy

That is definitely what they should have done. And of course it had to be consistent everywhere. I can't believe there isn't a set policy on this.

They'd have to have them in the room and lock it at 10 - if they had people standing outside waiting after 10 they could be interfered with in terms of being told exit polls or whatever.

Problem is clearly there hasn't been consistency in terms of handling queues because it's so unheard of.

But Fab - people work. Not everyone can go int he morning and during the day, they have to go in the evening. And if you are queuing for 1-3 hours, as is reported such as in Sheffield, then how can it be fair? If you arrive at 8pm - you epect to be able to vote. If you arrive at 9:50pm you should be able to vote.

Fab that was my point earlier but a lot of people couldn't vote untill later and also many had been queueing for 2 or 3 hours before being turned away. Which changes things a bit I think.

thing is fab - if you leave for work at 7am, and don't get home until 7/8pm then they have no option but to vote later.

I didn't even manage to change my address that I was registered in time this time round (real life took over and it was totally and utterly forgotten) so I had to go and give my old addresss when I voted (as my card never turned up either)

The man on Sky from the Sheffield coucil explained that the problem there was caused by a lot of students turning up late in the day and not knowing their address or with a polling card. Took ages to find them on the register.

His explanation sounded quite reasonable and he said they took direct advice from the Electoral Commission y phone. They were told thay had to stop giving out voting slips at 10.00 pm.

There should have been consistency in how polling stations with queues at 10 were treated

Yes, what Jux said. There's no way it wouldn't have been possible to work out at polling stations at 9.30pm or whatever that there might be a problem, and to contact the Electoral Commission for the official line on handling it.

Problem is some polling stations were in portacabins, hairdressers etc. so locking them in not necessarily practical.

What is it with Sunderland getting all results in so fast? How do they do it?

every other election I remember fab you can vote in the evening without a concern. nobody here expects to start queueing early in the day.

cor blimey - first 3 MP's voted in tonight all women

FabIsGoingToGetFit, no one should have to justify what time they turn up at the polls. It really is irrelevant how much time they've had in which to get there, the fact is that people who are entitled to vote and who want to vote, HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR FUNDAMENTAL CIVIL RIGHT TO VOTE.

And we've been desperately trying to get the turn out increased, and then what happens? We can't cope with it, and no one's got the sense to coordinate the response so that at least we have a fair and equitable election.

Now we have had a shambles of an election with some people's right to vote being respected and other's right to vote being snubbed. It's not good.

Whos had their results?

Hackney south yet?

Fab, if you work shifts and have to juggle childcare it really isn't easy to get to the polling station between 7am and 10pm. We made special arrangements today because we really wanted to vote but if we didn't have wiling family members around to help,don't know what we would have done.
I'm sure some people left the pub at 5 to ten to go and vote but if people were queueing for hours, DD has a point.

Right, I must go to bed. God knows what we are going to wake up to

All the Sunderland seats have been declared. All labour still but swings to conservative.

3 women elected so far. If only that trend could continue.

BrownNotCameron - BBC website pretty good.

No, just Sunderland Central, West and South so far. Battersea coming soon...

has all the delcarations so far for people that have missed them and don't have access to TV to watch

Also if gives an current estimated declaration time for the constituencies if you look for them

well said jux, your abilty to vote shouldnt be determined by the number of other people who turn up to vote.

You should be able to request a polling booth near your work place, and give them your work address as well as your home address.

TY dreams

Battersea, Birkenhead, Belfast, Birmingham Edgbaston and Basildon all expected soon...