Reasons to vote

[Erebus555]

Well, considering the number of threads and posts giving us reasons to not vote Nu Labur, Conservatives, BNP, Lib Dems etc etc. I'm finding it hard to find reasons to vote at all if all of the parties are so smegging awful!

[Zim Flyer]

The best one I can give you is that at least you feel apart of things on election results night.

[Erebus555]

Aaah, wise words. I do know who I'm voting for though, I've just gotta find a good reason to get off my arse and walk to the polling station when it happens.

[belfastuniguy]

It is essential to vote.

We saw this in the European elections, low turnout resulted in racists being elected to represent the most multi-cultural society in Europe.

[Leeds No.1]

Originally Posted by Erebus555

Aaah, wise words. I do know who I'm voting for though, I've just gotta find a good reason to get off my arse and walk to the polling station when it happens.

Could do postal voting...?

[Telfordboy]

Postal voting in Birmingham? Didn't they try that once with widespread fraud alleged?

[Smarty]

I think voting should be compulsory but with a "none of the above" box for those who don't feel able to pick any one party.

Universal suffrage is something that's people fought long and hard for over centuries in this country and still isn't available to people in many places in the world. It's a right we should feel proud of and use, even if it means just taking 10 mins to go and spoil a ballot paper because you're not happy with the system / choice on offer.

The chartists, sufragettes and the rest would be turning in their graves at the thought that people can't be arsed to devote 10 mins of their time every few years to go and vote.

[Nightjar]

Originally Posted by Smarty

I think voting should be compulsory but with a "none of the above" box for those who don't feel able to pick any one party.

Absolutely spot on Smarty.

That's a much better option than either voting with your feet which can be construed as lazy or spoiling your ballot paper which can be construed as vandalism.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by Smarty

I think voting should be compulsory but with a "none of the above" box for those who don't feel able to pick any one party.

Universal suffrage is something that's people fought long and hard for over centuries in this country and still isn't available to people in many places in the world. It's a right we should feel proud of and use, even if it means just taking 10 mins to go and spoil a ballot paper because you're not happy with the system / choice on offer.

The chartists, sufragettes and the rest would be turning in their graves at the thought that people can't be arsed to devote 10 mins of their time every few years to go and vote.

Exactly.

[Octoman]

Yes, totally agree Smarty. Well said.

[Nightjar]

Smarty by name...

[Zim Flyer]

Originally Posted by Telfordboy

Postal voting in Birmingham? Didn't they try that once with widespread fraud alleged?

Yeh I'm not a fan of postal voting, especially as some family heads in some family's vote on behalf of their wives. Lets get people down to the ballot box and give them the right of a secret ballot.

[Nightjar]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

Yeh I'm not a fan of postal voting, especially as some family heads in some family's vote on behalf of their wives. Lets get people down to the ballot box and give them the right of a secret ballot.

And there he goes again!

You are bleeeeedin' obsessed man!

[Zim Flyer]

Originally Posted by Nightjar

And there he goes again!

You are bleeeeedin' obsessed man!

Not really it's just a very valid reason against postal voting.

[cheaperthrillz]

Originally Posted by Smarty

I think voting should be compulsory but with a "none of the above" box for those who don't feel able to pick any one party.

Universal suffrage is something that's people fought long and hard for over centuries in this country and still isn't available to people in many places in the world. It's a right we should feel proud of and use, even if it means just taking 10 mins to go and spoil a ballot paper because you're not happy with the system / choice on offer.

The chartists, sufragettes and the rest would be turning in their graves at the thought that people can't be arsed to devote 10 mins of their time every few years to go and vote.

But then what if 'none of the above' won?

And those suffragettes also fought for the right of people not to vote.

[Smarty]

Originally Posted by cheaperthrillz

But then what if 'none of the above' won?

Under our Parliamentary system the party with the largest number of seats would win a majority, irrespective of the total number of voters for that party or the number of voters for that party in any individual constituency. However they would have to recognise that they don't have the vote of the majority of the population - that's only slightly different to what happens currently where most governments are elected by a minority of voters, the main difference being that the "don't agree with any of the above" would have registered their opinion, and that would reduce the legitimacy of the Govt. Currently people that don't vote can be written off as being people who have no interest in politics rather than not supporting any political party.

Many countries already operate with a "none of the above" option - Greece, Spain and France for example.

Originally Posted by cheaperthrillz

And those suffragettes also fought for the right of people not to vote.

They didn't fight for the right not to vote - they fought for the right to vote (which of course by default meant also the right not to vote). At the time women were considered as being too emotional to have the right to make decisions over their representation at Parliament. Quite rightly their main preoccupation was to fight against that prejudice and win the right to vote. The idea of compulsory voting is something quite different from universal suffrage and it's not suprising that at that time it was not a priority.

We're in a very different position today.

[Smarty]

Originally Posted by Nightjar

or spoiling your ballot paper which can be construed as vandalism.

My dad used to work at the local town hall and would supervise the election count - apparantly the largest number of ballot papers were spoilt by stupidity, ticking the box instead of marking it with a cross for example. Amazingly many people spoilt their papers by signing their name below their selection.

Originally Posted by Nightjar

Smarty by name...

The username is actually derived from my real name, rather than anything else, much as I would be happy to be called smart

[ChingfordFlanuer]

Originally Posted by Smarty

I think voting should be compulsory but with a "none of the above" box for those who don't feel able to pick any one party.

Universal suffrage is something that's people fought long and hard for over centuries in this country and still isn't available to people in many places in the world. It's a right we should feel proud of and use, even if it means just taking 10 mins to go and spoil a ballot paper because you're not happy with the system / choice on offer.

The chartists, sufragettes and the rest would be turning in their graves at the thought that people can't be arsed to devote 10 mins of their time every few years to go and vote.

Spot on.

IMHO if you don't vote don't moan.

I hate our first past the post system (and, yes, I always have and remember a very coherant Andrew Marr piece from 96/97 in the Indy that particulartly convinced me to lean towards agreeing with some kind of PR) but to abstain simply because of that would be a derriliction of my civic duty.

Of course, my vote is ALWAYS wasted, Chingford will still be hopelessly Tory when it's only cockroaches and bacteria left voting...

Luckily Iain Duncan-Smith is a decnt constituency MP who at least tries to address poverty and inequality in Waltham Forest. I've even gone as far as thanking the man for his work personally but admitting he will only get my vote when hell has frozen over.

CF

[Octoman]

You are very luck to IDS as your local MP. Think how much worse things would be if your local MP was Labour. Like in Stoke for example.

[blahblah]

Even I, would much rather that someone voted Labour then someone not vote at all.

And that's saying something!