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Why vote?

**helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
Vicky has a few thoughts on why you should. Read them in her rant and let us know what you think. :)
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't vote, and haven't for years, as I simply don't feel that any of the parties deserve my vote.

    Effectively, my view is that regardless of what they say in the run up to an election, they will just renege on the 'deal' and continue to screw us over. Until what they write in their dossiers is actually enforced, I will continue to withhold my vote as they are all empty words.

    They should, in effect, be held by a legally binding contract to stick to their promises. After all, that is what we are making our decision based upon.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know the irony of posting this in the politics section is that the people it's aimed at that don't care about politics won't read it. :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know the irony of posting this in the politics section is that the people it's aimed at that don't care about politics won't read it. :p

    :D:lol: :yes:
  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    You know the irony of posting this in the politics section is that the people it's aimed at that don't care about politics won't read it. :p

    :lol: Of course. Moving it now!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not voting this time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It fucks me off when people can't be even arsed to walk a few hundred yards to a polling booth. I don't care if they scribble 'none of the above' on the sheet when they get there, but at least they've taken the trouble to vote
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It fucks me off when people can't be even arsed to walk a few hundred yards to a polling booth. I don't care if they scribble 'none of the above' on the sheet when they get there, but at least they've taken the trouble to vote

    Well what's the point of that? I know that they technically count it, but if there are no candidates I'd like to vote for, then I don't see why I should take ten minutes out of my day to vote for none of the above. If "none of the above" could actually win, then I might consider it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    people who dont vote, dont whinge about everything that bothers you(with regards to how the country is ran). simple as.

    spoil it if need be, otherwise keep schtum.

    of course the above is just my personal opinion, but people who dont vote because of "whats the point" do my head in
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was told that if you write something short and not too cheeky like "this person doesn't listen to his constiutuents" beside a candidates name then it gets read out during the results? Is this true?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    people who dont vote, dont whinge about everything that bothers you. simple as.

    spoil it if need be, otherwise keep schtum.

    People who do vote, don't moan when the parliament you voted for brings us to an illegal war. I didn't sanction that in my name. You did. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Vicky wrote:
    However if you are part of the majority, a non-voting 18 to 24 year-old, you shouldn't complain about a single decision made by the Government; what you think doesn't matter if you are unwilling to make it known when it really counts. Your opinion on anything remotely related to politics has been made void by your own inaction.

    This kind of sanctimonious, ill-thought-out bullshit makes my piss boil. This false dichotomy of "you must either vote or shut the fuck up" is among the reasons, i suspect, why people are turned off by political proselytisers.

    I go and spoil a ballot to show my willingness to vote; i'd tick a "none of the above box" if there was one; I'd ideally prefer a better system which allowed for people's votes to be better used - Instant Run-off Voting, for instance. I'm acutely aware - and sympathetic - to the futility a lot of people associate with the idea of voting.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    People who do vote, don't moan when the parliament you voted for brings us to an illegal war. I didn't sanction that in my name. You did. ;)

    im not going to get into my thoughts on the so called "illegal war" as it'll only turn into a slanging match.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    People who do vote, don't moan when the parliament you voted for brings us to an illegal war. I didn't sanction that in my name. You did. ;)

    Exactly. :yes:

    In Lucky Strike's world Labour and Tory voters' hands must be positively dripping.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I go and spoil a ballot to show my willingness to vote; i'd tick a "none of the above box" if there was one; I'd ideally prefer a better system which allowed for people's votes to be better used - Instant Run-off Voting, for instance. I'm acutely aware - and sympathetic - to the futility a lot of people associate with the idea of voting.

    Well what are you doing about it? If you care so much then set up your own party or run as an independent.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    Well what are you doing about it? If you care so much then set up your own party or run as an independent.

    well ya see that would actually require them to do something rather than standing around saying "we hate bush and blair" while waving some sort of placard.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This kind of sanctimonious, ill-thought-out bullshit makes my piss boil. This false dichotomy of "you must either vote or shut the fuck up" is among the reasons, i suspect, why people are turned off by political proselytisers.

    I go and spoil a ballot to show my willingness to vote; i'd tick a "none of the above box" if there was one; I'd ideally prefer a better system which allowed for people's votes to be better used - Instant Run-off Voting, for instance. I'm acutely aware - and sympathetic - to the futility a lot of people associate with the idea of voting.
    how does instant run-off work?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    g_angel wrote: »
    I don't vote, and haven't for years, as I simply don't feel that any of the parties deserve my vote.

    In that case, vote for the party that is LEAST crap - rather than vote for no party. You're lucky you can vote at all ... :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »
    how does instant run-off work?

    Wiki has a pretty decent article on it: Instant Runoff Voting

    It's not a perfect system, but it's a large improvement IMHO. It tries to reduce the "everybody gets who nobody wants" effect.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A PR-STV system is the best. Far better than the shambles that is FPTP.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teagan wrote: »
    In that case, vote for the party that is LEAST crap - rather than vote for no party. You're lucky you can vote at all ... :)

    No.

    I exercise my choice NOT to vote, although I do appreciate the fact that we are able to.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So, it's ANOTHER article on TheSite telling us why we should vote. (do a search on the main site with the word "voting" and you get 12 results, nearly all of whom give out exactly the same message) In the interests of balance, shouldn't they now publish a rant giving the opposite point of view?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    So, it's ANOTHER article on TheSite telling us why we should vote. In the interests of balance, shouldn't they now publish a rant giving the opposite point of view?


    Can anybody really be arsed enough to bother?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    g_angel wrote: »
    Can anybody really be arsed enough to bother?
    I was tempted to write an article about why apathy rules, but I can't be bothered.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    I was tempted to write an article about why apathy rules, but I can't be bothered.

    *bu dum bum pisssssssssshhhh*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I always vote even though I know in my area its an almost entirely futile act.

    If you dont live in a marginal your vote really has very little value.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    I always vote even though I know in my area its an almost entirely futile act. If you dont live in a marginal your vote really has very little value.
    It's a myth that our MPs are elected. Most are just selected by political parties on very tribal lines. For example, Labour's heartlands are mostly in the north of England and in Scotland. Realistically, this means that the candidate they put forward doesn't really count for much at all. They could select a man wearing a monkey suit and people would still vote for it - those people voting for Hartlepool mayor fell for that trick years ago. In half of Labour's constituencies, they could make a dog turd their candidate and it would still win, on the ground that people wouldn't vote for "those fucking Tories"...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well what's the point of that? I know that they technically count it, but if there are no candidates I'd like to vote for, then I don't see why I should take ten minutes out of my day to vote for none of the above. If "none of the above" could actually win, then I might consider it.

    At least it shows that you bothered. I'd prefer to make a positive vote myself (and I think only haven't done so once - in a local election), but at least go out and do something.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    It's a myth that our MPs are elected.

    Last time I looked they were, the system is unfair...MP's are still elected regardless.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    Last time I looked they were, the system is unfair...MP's are still elected regardless.
    Nonsense. Aside from a few exceptions, most MPs face almost no contest at all to get their seats.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    labourml7.jpg
    This image helped maggie Thatcher to power ... A MILLION UNEMPLOYED.
    She and her party told us how they were going to end unemployment ...then decimated british manufacturing and created officialy ...THREE AND A HALF MILLION unemployed ...the figure was nearer SIX MILLION!
    I aint young ...i have voted many times but never again.
    I have been robbed everytime i have voted.
    The blood on their hands isn't to be taken lightly ...you vote these people into power to act on YOUR behalf. Tell the thousands of children in wheelchairs ...the mothers with half a face and all the dead dads in Iraq and afghanistan that the decision makers didn't do it in your name.
    A million people voiced their opinion about not going into an illegal war ...ignored.
    Your only voting for the banks anyway. There is now no political ideology ...it isn't allowed.
    So young people ...vote for me ...and i'll set you free.
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