2015 Election

[Garacesh]

Spoiled ballots are counted and reported as a percentage of the vote, so is acknowledged as a protest vote - that is, you actually bothered to turn up to the voting station, rather than apathetically sitting on your backside and watching Netlix instead.

 

Netlix.. Is that like a risqué streaming service?

 

Didn't actually know that! I considered spoiling my ballot last election as I didn't really know who to vote for and didn't really feel confident that any of them would provide any benefit (still don't, to a degree) so that's interesting.

[sonofsanta]

Netlix.. Is that like a risqué streaming service?

 

Didn't actually know that! I considered spoiling my ballot last election as I didn't really know who to vote for and didn't really feel confident that any of them would provide any benefit (still don't, to a degree) so that's interesting.

 

I'm gonna leave that typo up there, much more entertaining that way

 

More info @ Protest votes count and elsewhere on that site. If everyone who didn't turn up instead spoilt their ballot, we'd all know that a full third of the country doesn't want any of the muppets we have at the moment, and maybe - just maybe - that'd be a wake up call to someone to do something different.

 

Probably not, mind. If politicians have a defining characteristic, it's how remarkably sound proof their own rear passages are once their heads are stuffed up there. Apparently the head-stuffing is part of the initiation into the Bullingdon Club.

[Garacesh]

More info @ Protest votes count

It requires rejected votes to be counted and classified by the reason for rejection. At the moment, their categories are:

- absence of official mark [i.e. no cross];

- voting for more than one candidate;

- writing or mark by which the voter could be identified;

- unmarked or void for uncertainty.

This is why we need an official vote of no confidence. But that will never happen.

[JRowley]

Poll now edited to include the max possible 12 options

 

Too late now, already voted!

[StevieM]

This is why we need an official vote of no confidence. But that will never happen.

 

I think this is a good point in the proceedings to post this:

 

[Gatt]

It's not a legal requirement to vote - it is your right to choose to vote or not

 

I think adding a "none of the above" option will be at odds with various Human Rights people as they'll see it as one step closer to compulsory voting.

 

Personally, I think everyone should make an effort to vote.

 

If you don't vote - then you cannot really complain or comment on the outcome..

 

I also don't think people should "protest vote" - thats not really going to do the country any favours - I mean, if enough people did it - you could end up with the likes of UKIP and BNP getting into power, and then all the legal wrangles between the other parties to try and prevent them forming a government.

 

To paraphrase - Different colour - same sh:censored:

 

IMHO-

Labour get in and tend to spend what they don't have and the country goes down the pan

The Tories get back in - have to fix what Labour screwed up - making them unpopular due to the decisions that they have to make to get the country back up and running again (Both Thatcher and Cameron have done just that!)

Labour get back into power and start spending again

GOTO 10

 

Personally, I commend Cameron for getting us back on track - I don't agree with all his decisions (VAT for example - necessary at the time, but now I think it needs to come back down). He was never going to be popular for having to make cuts...

but at the end of the day (or 5 years) - things are better than they were when he started...

 

Like I say - this is all IMHO - if you want to call me on it then that is your right, as it is my right to put my views across, so lets not start with the handbags please!

[sonofsanta]

IMHO-

Labour get in and tend to spend what they don't have and the country goes down the pan

The Tories get back in - have to fix what Labour screwed up - making them unpopular due to the decisions that they have to make to get the country back up and running again (Both Thatcher and Cameron have done just that!)

Labour get back into power and start spending again

GOTO 10

 

Or, from another perspective:

 

The Tories get in and slash public spending so they can spend it on white elephant projects (HS2) or cut taxes for their friends, privatising as they go (Royal Mail, trying to do it with the NHS), all but destroying public services in the process - the NHS had an awful winter this last year, and I've never seen teaching staff so stressed and vacancies so under-applied for.

Labour get in and have to overspend to fix things quickly, meaning they have to make the unpopular choice of raising taxes to do so.

The Tories get back into power and slash and burn all over again

GOTO 10

 

Point being, and I reckon we can all agree on this, everyone is only ever concerned with what they can achieve short term, making a name for themselves in whatever cabinet position they're in, and blaming the last lot/undoing what they did due to ideological differences. We end up going round in circles and wasting time, effort and money all the way, all at the expense of lives lost and educations under-served while we go through the paroxysms of change.

 

The entire political class seems - from my lowly perspective down here - to have lost sight of what they're actually there for.

[MkII]

10 Politicians get in... they serve the uber wealthy and we all get shafted

20 GOTO 10

 

Edited March 31, 2015 by MkII

[JRowley]

If you don't vote - then you cannot really complain or comment on the outcome..

 

I hugely disagree with this, I don't vote because my vote in my area is completely wasted and my time would be better spent doing something else. Why does that mean I can't complain about the result?

 

Until my vote actually counts for something there isn't any point in me voting. I can still have an opinion of the result however.

[Garacesh]

I hugely disagree with this, I don't vote because my vote in my area is completely wasted and my time would be better spent doing something else. Why does that mean I can't complain about the result?

 

Until my vote actually counts for something there isn't any point in me voting. I can still have an opinion of the result however.

 

I actually agree with @Gatt on this one - admittedly it's an over-general statement, though.

 

I see your point, if you consider your vote 'worthless', why bother, right? Well maybe if everybody who thought the same way got out there and voted things might change. The only worthless vote is a vote not cast.

[difinity]

I'd like to see a new party, the People's Party, where we the public get to vote on the current issues and ideas of the time and not just once every few years on the colour of the party we'd like to have a go.

[Gatt]

I actually agree with @Gatt on this one - admittedly it's an over-general statement, though.

 

I see your point, if you consider your vote 'worthless', why bother, right? Well maybe if everybody who thought the same way got out there and voted things might change. The only worthless vote is a vote not cast.

 

yeah, sorry I should have expanded my comment, but this is the point I was trying to make

[JRowley]

I actually agree with @Gatt on this one - admittedly it's an over-general statement, though.

 

I see your point, if you consider your vote 'worthless', why bother, right? Well maybe if everybody who thought the same way got out there and voted things might change. The only worthless vote is a vote not cast.

 

It's a mathematical impossibility for the result to change in my constituency even if all of us who don't participate voted. The only way it could change is if everyone who doesn't vote Tory all voted for a single party and even then at best it would be close.

 

So my options are vote and achieve nothing, or not vote and go shopping/do some work and achieve something. Either way the result is the same here, I would happily vote if it meant something, but unless I move or they get around to some form of electoral reform like was discussed 5 years ago it is pointless.

Edited March 31, 2015 by JRowley

[Garacesh]

It's a mathematical impossibility for the result to change in my constituency even if all of us who don't participate voted. The only way it could change is if everyone who doesn't vote Tory all voted for a single party and even then at best it would be close.

This is a general election. Nobody cares about your constituency*. You're not voting for your local area, you're voting to affect the entire country. Maybe if everyone in your constituency that didn't vote actually voted, it wouldn't make a difference on the outcome of the general (or local) election.. But if everyone in every constituency that didn't vote got out there and voted..

 

* I don't mean that in a nasty way, I just mean that on its own, the individual constituency isn't important, they look at the whole picture.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Garacesh

[frazzlesgrant]

I'm voting for these. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party | Vote For Insanity

[Garacesh]

I'm voting for these. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party | Vote For Insanity

 

Dat battle bus tho..

[JRowley]

This is a general election. Nobody cares about your constituency*. You're not voting for your local area, you're voting to affect the entire country. Maybe if everyone in your constituency that didn't vote actually voted, it wouldn't make a difference on the outcome of the general (or local) election.. But if everyone in every constituency that didn't vote got out there and voted..

 

* I don't mean that in a nasty way, I just mean that on its own, the individual constituency isn't important, they look at the whole picture.

 

But it doesn't matter due to our voting system, the overall votes mean nothing. It's the number of seats which count, my constituency has one seat which has been Tory controlled for 97 years, hence it's pointless me voting. Sorry but in my case it really doesn't matter if I vote or not.

 

And yes I agree if everyone everywhere did participate then perhaps the outcome would be different in some areas, on the other hand if we had gone ahead with electoral reform then my vote would count and then I and countless other millions of people probably would vote. Because my vote and theirs would actually count for something.

Edited March 31, 2015 by JRowley

[zag]

But it doesn't matter due to our voting system, the overall votes mean nothing. It's the number of seats which count, my constituency has one seat which has been Tory controlled for 97 years, hence it's pointless me voting. Sorry but in my case it really doesn't matter if I vote or not.

 

It does matter hugely. Even a slight swing to one party will effect all parties in their future policies. Just look at the effect UKIP has had on the major parties. They have only got 2 seats and the others are running scared of them.

 

If you waste your vote then its up to you, but please don't tell is is useless voting. It isnt.

[JRowley]

It does matter hugely. Even a slight swing to one party will effect all parties in their future policies. Just look at the effect UKIP has had on the major parties. They have only got 2 seats and the others are running scared of them.

 

If you waste your vote then its up to you, but please don't tell is is useless voting. It isnt.

 

In your opinion it isn't useless voting, if you don't want to hear my view on it then that's fine but please don't believe you have the right to force your views upon me.

 

Also you are confusing two issues, this is about me voting or not voting. The effect UKIP has had is a result of them taking votes from existing parties, not bringing in people who don't normally vote.

Edited March 31, 2015 by JRowley

[LeMarchand]

I'm voting for these. The Official Monster Raving Loony Party | Vote For Insanity

 

Put all parliamentary representatives on national minimum wage.

 

They've got my vote!

[pcstru]

It's not a legal requirement to vote - it is your right to choose to vote or not

Personally, I think of it as a freedom to vote. Being free to vote also implies that you are free not to vote, for whatever reason.

I think adding a "none of the above" option will be at odds with various Human Rights people as they'll see it as one step closer to compulsory voting.

I'd doubt that, but compulsory voting is often used by those who abuse 'democratic' processes to claim a mandate and the overwhelming support of the people, so shoehorning such things onto the ballot might look odd when you can just spoil the ballot or not participate. Not participating is counted too.

 

Personally, I think everyone should make an effort to vote.

So do I , but I'm also strongly in favour of a true freedom - which implies not being compelled to turn up at the polling station and vote for a "least worst" candidate because you are compelled to by law. The Scottish referendum was proof that people will vote if they feel they have a stake in something important to them. It is up to the politicians to engage the electorate and get the numbers up.

If you don't vote - then you cannot really complain or comment on the outcome..

That is IMO, utter rubbish. You give up no rights by asserting your right not to cast a ballot.

[Garacesh]

Ookay getting a bit heated now..

 

Anyone else notice that Labour and Conservative got each others' colours in the poll bars up top? I found that amusing

[elsiegee40]

..

 

Anyone else notice that Labour and Conservative got each others' colours in the poll bars up top? I found that amusing

 

Yes. It made me smile too

[flyinghaggis]

Just look at the effect UKIP has had on the major parties. They have only got 2 seats and the others are running scared of them.

.

 

It's quite scary actually looking at some of the polls. They had the Conservatives on ~35% and UKIP on ~15% which meant that if they formed a coalition they'd be mighty close to an overall majority based on percentages

 

Mercifully, due to our FPTP voting system, it's unlikely that'll translate into actual MPs!

 

Election 2015 poll tracker - BBC News

Edited March 31, 2015 by flyinghaggis

[elsiegee40]

I can't remember who I heard say that voters should be allowed to vote in the election or for big brother, but not both