Are you going to register to vote?

Former_MSE_Megan

Nice to see so many positive responses to voting! I totally agree with what a few of you have said, that others don't get the chance to vote so making sure you do is really important.

Tropez

PuzzledDave wrote: »

I bet your local candidate is very grateful to you and all the other constituency voters agree with your point of view.

Maybe one day one of you might think it's at least worth trying to make change and perhaps stand yourself or support someone else to make a decent opposition. Who knows, maybe if one of you could be bothered to invest a little time you could even bring to light some of the shameful things the local MP has done !

To be quite honest, I wouldn't describe anything he's done as shameful. The party he represents, like all, have had their fare share of scandals. Him personally - boils down to a matter of personal ethics and his don't always match up with my own.

Our constituency has a much higher voter turnout than the national average and at the last election he polled very highly, so somehow, I don't really believe he needs to be too grateful to me since the seat is about as safe as they come anyway. I've heard the argument that if everyone went out and voted it might be different, but I've not seen hard evidence to support it. In sociology it is generally recognised that you can make reasonable assertions about societal behaviour within an error margin of a few per cent based on very small sample sizes, much smaller than the numbers who voted in the last election in this constituency.

And somehow, I think the financial investment for myself to stand as a candidate would not be a prudent one.

NobodysChild

MSE_Megan wrote: »

Nice to see so many positive responses to voting! I totally agree with what a few of you have said, that others don't get the chance to vote so making sure you do is really important.

I think it's crucial Megan. I mean, as some people have highlighted, many people in many countries don't get to vote at all: especially women!!! So to not vote seems so wrong to me.

Each to their own, and I do understand that some people are so disenchanted that they don't trust any of the parties, but I think everyone should vote. I mean as many have said, you can't complain about anything the Government are doing, if you didn't vote, can you?!

Tropez

NobodysChild wrote: »

I mean as many have said, you can't complain about anything the Government are doing, if you didn't vote, can you?!

I think that this assumes people who don't vote do not take political action in another form, though.

Supporting and financing pressure groups and NGOs allows an individual to tailor their political experience to fit their personal beliefs. I personally find it much more engaging than nipping down a school and ticking a box. I can be assured that the organisation I support wants what I want, and that they'll campaign and lobby regardless of who occupies Number 10.

fawd1

Tropez wrote: »

Our constituency has a much higher voter turnout than the national average and at the last election he polled very highly, so somehow, I don't really believe he needs to be too grateful to me since the seat is about as safe as they come anyway. I've heard the argument that if everyone went out and voted it might be different, but I've not seen hard evidence to support it.

I'm confused. You haven't seen hard evidence to support everyone voting making a difference? Or even one extra person voting making a difference. What about the Scottish independence referendum? The evidence is clear, and I would have thought, obvious. For example in East Renfrewshire which had the highest turnout of voters in the 2010 election at 77.3%, the labour candidate won by 20.4%. If the 22.7% who didn't vote had bothered to, it could have had a different outcome.

So yes, it does make a difference. Because when 22.7% of people (AT BEST) don't vote, a party that 49.2% of those that did vote didn't want to win can end up with the seat.

Tropez

fawd1 wrote: »

I'm confused. You haven't seen hard evidence to support everyone voting making a difference? Or even one extra person voting making a difference. What about the Scottish independence referendum? The evidence is clear, and I would have thought, obvious. For example in East Renfrewshire which had the highest turnout of voters in the 2010 election at 77.3%, the labour candidate won by 20.4%. If the 22.7% who didn't vote had bothered to, it could have had a different outcome.

So yes, it does make a difference. Because when 22.7% of people (AT BEST) don't vote, a party that 49.2% of those that did vote didn't want to win can end up with the seat.

What about the Scottish Referendum? It wasn't conducted on the same political system as a general election. That was a simple case of tallying all votes between two options. A general election is different, much different and so the two are incomparable.

You're making the assumption that all of the 22.7% would have voted for another candidate, or even might have voted for another candidate. This is where there is no hard evidence to support your assertion. Sociologists would argue that the sample size of those who voted, given the factors such as localisation, was large enough to predict that even had everyone voted, the end result would have been the same - to within a small margin of error, anyway.

See the only way to provide the evidence is to force people into voting and then tally the voting trends over a substantial period of time, and that's hardly democratic now, is it?

Yolina

fawd1 wrote: »

Also, my personal belief is that if you can't be bothered to vote, you've elected to not have a voice, so don't complain when the government makes a decision you don't like.

Been living in the UK for 20-odd years, but I'm French and so am only able to vote in local elections here, not General Elections. I therefore reserve the right to complain

fawd1

Tropez wrote: »

What about the Scottish Referendum? It wasn't conducted on the same political system as a general election. That was a simple case of tallying all votes between two options. A general election is different, much different and so the two are incomparable.

You're making the assumption that all of the 22.7% would have voted for another candidate, or even might have voted for another candidate. This is where there is no hard evidence to support your assertion. Sociologists would argue that the sample size of those who voted, given the factors such as localisation, was large enough to predict that even had everyone voted, the end result would have been the same - to within a small margin of error, anyway.

See the only way to provide the evidence is to force people into voting and then tally the voting trends over a substantial period of time, and that's hardly democratic now, is it?

I'm making the assumption that if all 22.7 % hadn't wanted labour to win, they COULD have made a difference, whether voting tactically or not. Which frankly entirely answers the question as to whether or not people who abstain from voting make a difference. It's not about whether they would, it's about the fact that they COULD. No I'm not saying that everyone should be obligated to vote, I'm saying I can't for the life of me understand why they wouldn't and I think that trying to justify the fact that quite simply they can't be bothered, is at best disingenuous and at worst ego stroking of Russell brand proportions. Pointing out the sociological improbability of one person making a difference is exactly the sort of thinking that brought about no great change ever. Imagine all of the things that wouldn't ever have changed if people didn't stand up and demand their right to be heard. Having a voice can have a ripple effect you know, that's why people all over the world fight to the death for their right to it.

fawd1

Yolina wrote: »

Been living in the UK for 20-odd years, but I'm French and so am only able to vote in local elections here, not General Elections. I therefore reserve the right to complain

Quite. I completely agree with your right to complain. My mother is in the same position despite having lived here for 40 odd years. However surely your biggest complaint should be that you want to vote but can't and others can but don't bother!

Buzzybee90

Of course, and I shall make the right choice.