UK General Election 2005

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

how about an option for "not telling"? i have two votes being a student, dunno what to do... oh dear oh dear...

I thought the only option open to students was voting if it was on the way back from the pub

Anybody know what the minimum voting age is?

Originally Posted by Diamond

Anybody know what the minimum voting age is?

18 ?

Yep, 18.

btw, the vote is verly likely to be the 5th may, thus allowing the slogan 05.05.05 to remind people to vote.

although i would like a early november election, although i dont see why blair would want to do that, labour have got a lot of time to build their votes up and blair also can count on his partys support until the election, after which he will be under a lot of pressure to leave. Bringing forward the election is like the prisoner bring his excutation forward

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

aww thats pooey, i wanted to give each party one vote and be nice and neutral

as it happens all the elections there have been i haven't voted here in birmingham anyway, so is a bit of a moot point...

everyone knows labour will get in again anyway through some fiddle, proportional representation or wahtever it is that gives them more seats per vote? so what's the point?

You haven't voted and yet you reckon it's all a fiddle.No,what it is,is that all of us who bother to vote are carrying those who don't vote.If you don't vote nothing can change.If you hate Blair that much get to a ballot box and vote him out but don't whinge about it if they get back in and you DID NOT VOTE.If only 50/60 % of those eligble to vote do so how can it prove anything?If the other 40% weren't so idle maybe TB's majority could be wiped to nothing.Then he really will be up against it because the House of Commons might be more evenly balanced with Labour not having things all their own way.

I wish it were illegal NOT to vote.

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Dave Stones

aww thats pooey, i wanted to give each party one vote and be nice and neutral

Ah, you wanted the wuss 'everybody gets a prize' election then

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I wish it were illegal NOT to vote.

I empathise with this view, but I don't agree with it on the basis that it is a demorcratic right not to vote.

If people were not voting as some sort of protest, then I could understand, but the fact is that they are simply apethetic to the whole process - simply believing that anyone in power is someone to moan about.

This is partially the fault of the politicians and partially the fault of the non-voters.

One thing I particularly feel is that non-voters shouldn't really complain about the leaders of the day.

people who do not vote are annoying

people who do not vote then moarn are more annoying

people who dont vote because they think it gives them a moral highground should be shot

Originally Posted by andygrif

I empathise with this view, but I don't agree with it on the basis that it is a demorcratic right not to vote.

Until there is an option "none of the above" on the ballot paper, the only other option is not to vote.

the fact is that they are simply apethetic to the whole process - simply believing that anyone in power is someone to moan about.

Or possibly because some people have come to understand that your individual vote is worthless and whoever is in power is more likely than not going to do what the hell they like.

This is partially the fault of the politicians and partially the fault of the non-voters.

The part of the non-voters is *very* small IMO.

One thing I particularly feel is that non-voters shouldn't really complain about the leaders of the day.

If you live in a "safe" constituency, where the candidate gets regularly elected with a massive majority, whether you vote or not has damn all effect on the outcome. If you watch the election specials you soon realise that it is a relatively few "key marginals" which really determine the outcome of the election unless the party in power has become *incredibly* unpopular (eg the last Tory government).

And, as I mentioned above, unless there's a "none of the above" option, your only choice is to vote for another party (who probably don't represent what your views are anyway) or not to vote at all to show your dislike of the entire process.

This, however, does *NOT* preclude the right to express your displeasure of the party in power.

Originally Posted by Damien

people who dont vote because they think it gives them a moral highground should be shot

You know, I can just hear Saddam Hussein saying exactly the same thing...

Just vote for a inderpendent candidate or run for election yourself if your so worried and SOO moral that you should not vote for the good of the nation. "They are all the same, all wrong, all going to destory the world if they get elected, blah blah blah:

God, i think its good these people dont vote if they feel think like that, we dont want people like that having a say

Originally Posted by Graham

You know, I can just hear Saddam Hussein saying exactly the same thing...

only he would shoot people who DO vote rather than the other way around...

Originally Posted by Damien

Just vote for a inderpendent candidate or run for election yourself if your so worried and SOO moral that you should not vote for the good of the nation. "They are all the same, all wrong, all going to destory the world if they get elected, blah blah blah:

God, i think its good these people dont vote if they feel think like that, we dont want people like that having a say

Oh deary, deary me

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Graham

Until there is an option "none of the above" on the ballot paper, the only other option is not to vote.

I agree that a box saying that would be an extremely useful device for sending a message to some.

Originally Posted by Graham

Or possibly because some people have come to understand that your individual vote is worthless and whoever is in power is more likely than not going to do what the hell they like.

Well in my area, in the last council elections, there was a turnout of 27% (or thereabouts). Are you seriously telling me that 73% of the population could not collectively vote for someone else?

Originally Posted by Graham

And, as I mentioned above, unless there's a "none of the above" option, your only choice is to vote for another party (who probably don't represent what your views are anyway) or not to vote at all to show your dislike of the entire process.

You have the power to turn up and 'spoil' your ballot paper right now. Simply not bothering to show up (as did the majority of the country - bear in mind at the last general election people who voted were in the MINORITY) and then making excuses like 'oh they're all the same' etc etc is apathy on a stick.

And if the majority of people in the country are following your example of not voting because you don't like the options, then start your own party that 53% of country will vote for, that's democracy right?

Originally Posted by Graham

This, however, does *NOT* preclude the right to express your displeasure of the party in power.

I would disagree. If a store was selling faulty goods, you don't really have much say in it unless you buy one of the faulty ones. If we all lived by your rules, no-one would turn up to vote. If you want to live in a democracy then you have to take part in it.