Election today - please vote

[Nick W]

Dear all,

If you can vote, please use today to use your democratic opportunity to make your voice heard. For many of you, your seats are really marginal and polls indicate no majority lead so your vote could really make a difference.

Many thanks,

Nick

 

[Greenback]

Well said! Let's have a really high turn out today!

 

[ainsworth74]

Don't worry already done! Postal vote for me due to my presence at Uni rather than my home constituancy.

 

[CarterUSM]

I'll second that emotion. Let's remember that we'll get the government we deserve, so lets make it a successful one! I do feel i'm being overly optimistic though.

 

[Metroland]

I shall be straight to the polling station first thing in the morning!

 

[yorkie]

Let's hope that whatever government we get is pro-rail and stops implementing the ridiculous policies that have caused our society to be so car-dominated over the past few decades. Sadly the task gets harder and harder over time...

 

[transportphoto]

Polls are now about to open - guess what, there a leaflet dropper outside our house!

EDIT

THEY ARE OPEN

 

[furryfeet]

ah yes, but has anyone actually seen a candidate yet ?

remember that the primary function of an election is to return MP's to parliament.

p.s. by candidate, I mean one at national or local level. Where I live, apart from the leaflets through the door, one would not know that there was an election of any kind in progress.

 

[gordonthemoron]

apparently (according to the wife) Ken Clarke was kissing babies in West Bridgford 3 weeks ago.

The babies must now be severely traumatised

 

[37401]

Let's hope that whatever government we get is pro-rail

Nah sorry yorkie I didn't have the £500 deposit to run so my units being banned from the north wales coast policy will have to stay with me for now


I agree with the OP, please do vote because if only a few voted and those few voted BNP then where would we be, with a funny looking man who got sued by marmite
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

ah yes, but has anyone actually seen a candidate yet ?

Not seen my MP myself but then again ive not been in the town centre for weeks, wouldnt make any difference I cant vote yet

 

[royaloak]

Remember if you dont vote then you cant complain afterwards

 

[TGV]

I wonder if all the chavs in the UK know how to vote in something that doesn't involve Simon Cowell?

"Wot number do I call to vote off this Clegg guy? He can't sing for sh*t".

 

[Pumbaa]

Let's hope that whatever government we get is pro-rail and stops implementing the ridiculous policies that have caused our society to be so car-dominated over the past few decades. Sadly the task gets harder and harder over time...

I think the Fact Compiler can answer that one;

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/05/election-2010-exclusive-results-in-full.html

Seriously though - I hope the country does the right thing today. I voted this morning.

 

[wintonian]

I have been doing work for one of the partys today and certainly in our area it looks like the turn out is up, by how much I don't know but I'ts good that pepole want to vote and have their say.

 

[Oswyntail]

Remember if you dont vote then you cant complain afterwards

Well true-ish I dare say there will be a large number of people who did not vote who try to justify their laziness by saying "They're all the same", "I can't vote for none of the above", "It doesn't make a difference".:roll:
One thing i would like to say. I have only been on this board for a short time, but, compared with other boards I am a member of, I find the level of political debate very heartening. Yes, there are some members i feel i would walk down the other side of the street to avoid, but we have all accepted openness and views expressed without descending int abusive rant. Well done and a pat on the back to you all - especially if you have voted!

 

[Greenback]

Well true-ish I dare say there will be a large number of people who did not vote who try to justify their laziness by saying "They're all the same", "I can't vote for none of the above", "It doesn't make a difference".:roll:
One thing i would like to say. I have only been on this board for a short time, but, compared with other boards I am a member of, I find the level of political debate very heartening. Yes, there are some members i feel i would walk down the other side of the street to avoid, but we have all accepted openness and views expressed without descending int abusive rant. Well done and a pat on the back to you all - especially if you have voted!

I agree with your last sentiment - I find that even when people disagree with your views on here they usually do so in a nice way! It's good that personal abuse is not tolerated, even when it is claimed to be banter, which I find to be the case on many non rail related forums!

I don;t personally think there's much difference between the main parties in this election. As far as I can see they are all shades of the same colour really. Whoever wins will have to make spending cuts, all of them seem pretty much convinced of the benefits of the private sector, all vow to tackle climate change and green issues and so on. This is why I will be voting for a smaller party!

 

[90019]

Well true-ish I dare say there will be a large number of people who did not vote who try to justify their laziness by saying "They're all the same", "I can't vote for none of the above", "It doesn't make a difference".:roll:

What annoys me more is the people who say that the smaller parties don't have a chance, because nobody will vote for them, so there's no point in voting for them.
Well, if everyone thinks like that, then of course they bloody won't!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

If people have a reason for not voting for any of the candidates - whatever it is, they can still go along and "spoil" their ballot paper.
Its a very different way of engaging with the choices on offer than simply not bothering.

It might only make a difference to a tiny extent in the percentages of votes cast, but it is an attempt to participate, and in some of the world's worst political elections, the choice of candidates has been much less than we have today, and in those cases a "non of the above" vote can be the ONLY way to express an opinion.

BTW. I expect to make my own decison sometime before the polls close!

 

[90019]

I think the problem with spoiled votes is that there's no differentiation between a deliberately spoiled vote and an accidentaly spoiled one.

If they see one area has loads of spoiled votes, for all they know, it could just be an area full of stupid people

 

[devon_metro]

Voted for the first time. Lets hope we get the right result.

 

[O L Leigh]

If people have a reason for not voting for any of the candidates - whatever it is, they can still go along and "spoil" their ballot paper.
Its a very different way of engaging with the choices on offer than simply not bothering.

It might only make a difference to a tiny extent in the percentages of votes cast, but it is an attempt to participate, and in some of the world's worst political elections, the choice of candidates has been much less than we have today, and in those cases a "non of the above" vote can be the ONLY way to express an opinion.

Have just been down and cast my vote for who I can stomach as the next elected dictator (and only then just to deny the BNP candidate my vote).

Mind you, my own politics are complicated. I don't have any party political allegiances and feel that the system of "democracy" that we have in this country is flawed and actually undemocratic. I have my own utopian dreams that will unfortunately never come to pass in my lifetime unless some major crisis changes things dramatically.

However, all this is a very long way around of saying that my own voting preference would be to spoil my ballot. My vote was hard won and I'm not going to fritter it away on candidates I don't like, don't trust and won't actually represent me. But the big problem with that approach is that spoilt ballots are not counted.

O L Leigh

 

[37401]

I wonder if all the chavs in the UK know how to vote in something that doesn't involve Simon Cowell?

"Wot number do I call to vote off this Clegg guy? He can't sing for sh*t".

They just vote for the pretty colours, sometimes this can lead to gang wars for one day "east side massive vs west side massive" becomes "Conservative possie vs Labour massive" innit

 

[devon_metro]

I think lots of the yobs are voting for the Lib Dems.

Spotted some graffiti earlier saying "Nick Clegg FTW"

Read into that what you will...

 

[starrymarkb]

I've just been down. Did see the Tory Battlebus (apparently with Cameron on board) parked near my flat a couple of weeks ago

 

[Aictos]

Well locally, there's been no sign of any potential candidate for either national or local elections apart from the conservative candidate canvassing for the local elections.

Still, if we do get a hung parliament then there's a pretty good chance of a re-election being held a few months down the road as the Conservatives are already preparing themselves for a possible one.

 

[Greenback]

I went to the polling station earlier. There seemed to be an old man with a coloured rosette standing outside looking miserable, but he didn't say anything to me when I strolled by. It was pretty busy though, plenty of cars pulling up and people going in and out.

 

[me123]

This morning,, I partook in possibly the most fatuous exercise ever. I voted SNP. In the safest Labour seat in the country. Indeed, in the safest seat in the country.

I've had very little in my constituency (unsurprisingly), but on my way into Uni (Glasgow North constituency) the Trade Union/Socialists have been shouting at me about banks and privatised railways and a few Green people have stopped me to try and get my support. Quite sad that these people on my commute are trying to get my vote, yet in my home constituency I've seen no one and had three leaflets through the door.

 

[devon_metro]

Is Gordon your local Labour candidate then?

 

[CarterUSM]

Me123, do you remember stalins granny herself, helen liddel? Now the ambassador to austrailia.

 

[matt]

I have just been to cast my vote. My first time in a general election although i have voted in the locals before