and if you didn't what were your reasons?Did you vote?
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Miss Jayney
- Getting settled in
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:29 pm
- Location: Cardiff
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Did you vote?
i did - just wonering who else did and if you didn't what were your reasons?
and if you didn't what were your reasons?-
Lithium_joe
- Power poster
- Posts: 462
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:45 pm
- Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK
Yup - posted a letter and made a detour via the polling station on the way back. Voted Lib Dem because the Tories are a joke and non existent in Chesterfield and I 'aint about to start voting Labour.
I have toyed with the idea of not voting - this flies in the face of every high-minded democratic principle I hold, however I have a problem I've not yet found a solution to, and it is this:
From the point of view of the parties, they *really don't care* if you've agonised about a decision this way or that, and reluctantly decided to vote for them or not - all they care about or see is the end result - a tick for them , a majority or a loss. (As evidence for this I've heard Tony Blair ask "Well the people can't be that much against the war - we won the election didn't we?) As if that was a justification.
So if you find yourself in such a quandary where you might have several strong principled objections to a policy (Say, The Iraq War for instance) but know the opposition parties supported it and the other parties won't be electorally successful - should you vote blithely for a party despite your objections?
Because that means from the point of view of people like Blair an endorsement FOR them. Unless I'm willing to make that positive endorsement, I cannot say with complete certainty that I would want to cast my vote for something I do not support.
Should I therefore abstain? (but this invokes the argument: 'if you don't take the opportunity to vote you don't even have the right to complain when things are not to your liking' but what, honestly, is the point of voting if this is taken as an endorsement of polices you do not support?
I think, until we have a "Non of the above", box where a positive expression of dissatisfaction with the choices on offer, is made available - this a problem without an obvious solution.
I have toyed with the idea of not voting - this flies in the face of every high-minded democratic principle I hold, however I have a problem I've not yet found a solution to, and it is this:
From the point of view of the parties, they *really don't care* if you've agonised about a decision this way or that, and reluctantly decided to vote for them or not - all they care about or see is the end result - a tick for them , a majority or a loss. (As evidence for this I've heard Tony Blair ask "Well the people can't be that much against the war - we won the election didn't we?) As if that was a justification.
So if you find yourself in such a quandary where you might have several strong principled objections to a policy (Say, The Iraq War for instance) but know the opposition parties supported it and the other parties won't be electorally successful - should you vote blithely for a party despite your objections?
Because that means from the point of view of people like Blair an endorsement FOR them. Unless I'm willing to make that positive endorsement, I cannot say with complete certainty that I would want to cast my vote for something I do not support.
Should I therefore abstain? (but this invokes the argument: 'if you don't take the opportunity to vote you don't even have the right to complain when things are not to your liking' but what, honestly, is the point of voting if this is taken as an endorsement of polices you do not support?
I think, until we have a "Non of the above", box where a positive expression of dissatisfaction with the choices on offer, is made available - this a problem without an obvious solution.
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Miss Jayney
- Getting settled in
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:29 pm
- Location: Cardiff
- Contact:
in part that's the reason we supported out local am ;0 when the education authority tried to take my brother's statement off him she came to the aid and went to all the mettigns and suchrhyds wrote:I voted, and our local MP/AMs are nice people, and the MP was a great help when the education department were dragging their feet regarding help for me
I find that in a lot of parts of wales people are inclined to vote fo the individual still - over and above the party.
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quackstar84
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:13 pm
- Location: Derbyshire, England
I voted. We had a rather underwhelming choice of two (count 'em) candidates! Labour didn't even bother to field a candidate, although they always come a distant 3rd around here so perhaps it's sensible. Turn out seemed to be about 1000 out of 1400 eligible voters, so not at all shabby really.
Council elections are a funny one I think as although the candidates are party aligned in the main and can affect whether one party does have a majority in your area, local issues and recognition of the person standing plays a large part too. It's rather different to voting for an MP in Westminster who you know will more than likely tow the party line and who may well have been shipped in from an entirely different part of the country to stand in your area.
The Scottish Election was the most interesting of the lot and it'll be interesting to see how the coalitions are formed in the coming weeks. I can't see how the SNP will be able to push through a referendum though as Labour, Conservatives and LibDems combined will easily make a majority to block it.
Council elections are a funny one I think as although the candidates are party aligned in the main and can affect whether one party does have a majority in your area, local issues and recognition of the person standing plays a large part too. It's rather different to voting for an MP in Westminster who you know will more than likely tow the party line and who may well have been shipped in from an entirely different part of the country to stand in your area.
The Scottish Election was the most interesting of the lot and it'll be interesting to see how the coalitions are formed in the coming weeks. I can't see how the SNP will be able to push through a referendum though as Labour, Conservatives and LibDems combined will easily make a majority to block it.
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robyn
I never vote, I never get round to bothering to get myself on the electoral register, its too much for my organisation to take. but its also partly cause im very uninspired by politics, if ever there was a party that had a policy on child abuse then I would vote for them, not that the issues they campaig on arnt improtant but they dont compare to the damage that is done by child abuse (especially within familys) and how oblivious the general public are
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robyn
I voted, as I wanted to express my dissatisfaction with the current Labour government. I know we were not exactly overwhelmed with choice, but surely any party can only do a better job than the present government?
I went for the Green and Lib Dems, as we were allowed several votes in my area.
Mattie.
I went for the Green and Lib Dems, as we were allowed several votes in my area.
Mattie.
nope, I didn't vote this time around, as didn't know where to go, and according to the signs for it, then the polling station was on a mini round-about!!
and also couldn't find my polling card, but if I did, I would have never voted labour or cons, as both have messed this country up!
I usually go green wherever possible.
and also couldn't find my polling card, but if I did, I would have never voted labour or cons, as both have messed this country up!
I usually go green wherever possible.
Mike
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"Voter apathy really gets to me.
Thousands of people lost their lives to give people the chance to live in the country we have now and have the voting rights we do.
They are others in the world who aren't so fortunate."
Thousands of people lost their lives to give people in those less fortunate countries what they ended up with too. And thousands in an attempt to maintain slavery in America, to make Britain a principality of Denmark, to spread the third reich to the four corners of the earth! Do we also have a responsibility to them?
Our responsibility isn't to those who did suffer in the past, it's to those who might suffer in the future. We can't change what has come before, but it is up to us to do our level best to make things right for those who'll suceed us.
I like voter apathy, I think it'd be great if everyone who didn't care or didn't know about the issues just stayed home. Why? Because I'd rather have an election where 5% of people vote, but they all care about the issues and understand what goes on - than one in which 100% of people vote, but 95% of votes cast go to "whoever looked good in the papers" or "whoever me mom used to vote for". That forces more accountability onto our leaders, because they'd damn well know that if they screwed up then they'd suffer for it - rather than just having to buy a little more ad time to make up the numbers or putting the right spin on it until it goes away.
Course you could say it's unfair to the 95% who didn't vote, but if the reason for not voting is a lack of understanding the tools to generate that understanding are freely available to anyone who can access a public library.
Thousands of people lost their lives to give people the chance to live in the country we have now and have the voting rights we do.
They are others in the world who aren't so fortunate."
Thousands of people lost their lives to give people in those less fortunate countries what they ended up with too. And thousands in an attempt to maintain slavery in America, to make Britain a principality of Denmark, to spread the third reich to the four corners of the earth! Do we also have a responsibility to them?
Our responsibility isn't to those who did suffer in the past, it's to those who might suffer in the future. We can't change what has come before, but it is up to us to do our level best to make things right for those who'll suceed us.
I like voter apathy, I think it'd be great if everyone who didn't care or didn't know about the issues just stayed home. Why? Because I'd rather have an election where 5% of people vote, but they all care about the issues and understand what goes on - than one in which 100% of people vote, but 95% of votes cast go to "whoever looked good in the papers" or "whoever me mom used to vote for". That forces more accountability onto our leaders, because they'd damn well know that if they screwed up then they'd suffer for it - rather than just having to buy a little more ad time to make up the numbers or putting the right spin on it until it goes away.
Course you could say it's unfair to the 95% who didn't vote, but if the reason for not voting is a lack of understanding the tools to generate that understanding are freely available to anyone who can access a public library.