Vote or die

Well here we go again. Every time elections come up I launch one of these threads - "I don't care who you vote for, or even if you spoil your paper, just vote damn it". And every time a sizeable chunk of people will say "I'm not voting, they're all as bad as eachother". And at the end of these threads we always come up with some vague consensus that if you don't vote you have no right whatsoever to complain about the state of the nation.

Well there's been a whole truck load of complaining over the last couple of years. Veritable convoys of manure have been spread over this forum decrying just how lousy everything is. So this time, make sure you vote eh?

If you really can't find a politician you'd trust further than you could throw then spoil your balot paper. Spoilt papers get counted - a large percentage of spoilt papers says "I don't trust any of you, you have no mandate". Wheras not turning up says "I don't care how I'm governed, bend me over and have your way, I don't care". Not voting says that your preferred form of government is dictatorship. If that's what you want then fine, just shut the hell up complaining about it when you get exactly what you want. Democracy is what we've got, it's the worse possible form of government, except all others that have been tried (props to Winston) so vote, or spoil your paper, but just show up.

Because if the next couple of years sees this forum spewing the same level of complaining from people who can't actually be bothered to walk half a mile and scrawl an X on a piece of paper once every few years I swear I'm gonna gather you all up and ship you to North Korea - not voting is a positive vote for dictatorship.

[fizzwheel]

I havent voted for ages. This time I am going to vote.

I shall be voting for guy campaigning on actual local issus, namely the chap that wants to bring back weekly rubbish collection and do something about the cr*ppy state of the roads in our local area.

This also means I get to stick the proverbial two fingers up to Gordon Brown at the same time.

Fair play, I always think there's more to local elections than nationals / europeans. You can get some very good local councillors who actually trundle round door knocking even when there's not an election on. We've got a couple of independents round our way who even sorted out some secure hoops next to bike parking bays in the town centre.

i'm too busy, hair needs washing and i've got a pile of clothes that wont iron themselves....

i shall be spoiling my paper. Lib Dem used to be very good where I am, but my MP is one who diddled his expenses so he doesnt get my vote. Labour? Not a chance, and the Conservative candidate has no local policies of interest....plus he looks shifty...

[Jayneflakes]

Hi Matt,

Good thread and given that politics is always a good way to start an argument to the interested, I thought I would add my tuppence worth. I see voting as highly important and given the struggle that occurred to get women the vote, I would feel like a gender traitor if I failed to do so.

Voting is a way of telling your Government that you are not happy or you approve of their policies. I hope to use my vote to make a stand, but in this area which appears to be historically Tory, I am not sure that there is a lot of choice.

One group I will not be voting for is UKIP, as a European (I grew up abroad) I am pretty enthused by EU membership, however I am also pretty fed up with the odd comments I have heard from some of the "locals" in this country. I can understand argument over EU membership, I can see positives and negatives to it and I am fully happy to engage in worthwhile debate, but please people keep that argument on track and don't fall into senseless xenophobia. Debate is good, closed minds are not.

Ooh, I made a controversial statement, now watch me be burned!

No toasting Marshmallows over the cinders that used to be my heart...

[Swin]

Not going to get into a debate over my own political beliefs, but Matt's absolutely right - vote!

I'm 18, but I don't know if I can vote or not? How do I find out or what do I need to do?

As a bit of an observation, I've seen a few of David Cameron's leaflets drop through the letter box and this 'time for change' and blue/white/red GB flag colour scheme is a bit 'Barrack Obama'.

Originally Posted by BournemouthBen

I'm 18, but I don't know if I can vote or not? How do I find out or what do I need to do?

As a bit of an observation, I've seen a few of David Cameron's leaflets drop through the letter box and this 'time for change' and blue/white/red GB flag colour scheme is a bit 'Barrack Obama'.

You're entitled to at 18 but you need to be on the electoral role, these are the forms that come round every year or so and which are required by law to be filled in, you would have been filled in by your folks I'm guessing as folks coming up to voting age are also entered. You should have received a card through the post in the last few weeks detailing your local polling station - though you don't actually need to present this to vote.

Unfortunately moving house a lot can tend to make you miss out between electoral role forms unless you manually register (which I think you should do anyway but folks tend to forget), and if you're not registered now then it's now too late to vote in this election. Phoning the local council will allow you to check.

[Supervox]

Originally Posted by Jayneflakes

Hi Matt,

Good thread and given that politics is always a good way to start an argument to the interested, I thought I would add my tuppence worth. I see voting as highly important and given the struggle that occurred to get women the vote, I would feel like a gender traitor if I failed to do so.

Voting is a way of telling your Government that you are not happy or you approve of their policies. I hope to use my vote to make a stand, but in this area which appears to be historically Tory, I am not sure that there is a lot of choice.

One group I will not be voting for is UKIP, as a European (I grew up abroad) I am pretty enthused by EU membership, however I am also pretty fed up with the odd comments I have heard from some of the "locals" in this country. I can understand argument over EU membership, I can see positives and negatives to it and I am fully happy to engage in worthwhile debate, but please people keep that argument on track and don't fall into senseless xenophobia. Debate is good, closed minds are not.

Ooh, I made a controversial statement, now watch me be burned!

No toasting Marshmallows over the cinders that used to be my heart...

I think that the major issue people have over our EU membership is that we've (the voting public) never been asked if we wish to be members.

The organisation we originally joined in 1973 was the European Economic Community (Common Market).

Since then this organisation has changed not only its name but also the parameters around it which it operates; this now encompasses political & social issues as well as the original trading agreement.

Personally ? I think we should leave the EU as I see no advantage for the UK in being part of a United States of Europe - especially one that leaves us the 'poor relation' that everyone dislikes.

I always vote. My local MP is the one that resigned then his wife stands down soon. we haven't had any of the usual lot round drumming up votes this time