Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

LydiaJ

chris_m wrote: »

I don't even like having to run the gauntlet of the people who stand outside (because they, quite rightly, aren't allowed in) asking to see peoples' polling cards. Depending on how awkward I feel I ether tell them I haven't got it (whether I have or not) or give them a response varying from a simple, "No" to "Get stuffed", depending on the degree of belligerence they show.

I actually don't mind if they know who I am, since that won't tell them anything about me except that I consistently turn up to vote, and I don't mind them knowing that. But I agree nobody should feel under pressure to tell them anything.

Pyxis wrote: »

I always declined to say how I voted. My view was that a secret ballot is just that...

Anyway, I declined gracefully, and there was no problem, until one year, some time ago, when I was accosted on my way out, and when I declined gracefully again, the woman started a bit of an argument, so I declined again, and she still argued, so I walked away, to the sound of "how stupid, how stupid" ringing in my ears.

I decided that was too awful to let go, so I tried to find a number to ring to make a complaint. No-one has the right to accost a bona fide voter and try to browbeat them into saying how they had voted.

It was actually incredibly difficult to find someone to complain to. This was a long time ago, so I can't remember the details, but eventually I found some sort of number, and told them what had happened, etc.

Dunno,if anything was done about it, but the person I spoke to was quite indignant on my behalf.

That's awful! I think chris_m's suggestion is great - if that ever happens again, complain on the spot to somebody inside the polling station. I'll squirrel that idea away in some corner of my brain in case it ever happens to me, too.

I never tell anybody how I voted in anything party political. I found to my surprise, however, that I didn't mind telling people how I voted in our election for a police and crime commissioner a while ago, and I didn't mind telling people how I voted in the Brexit referendum. (What's with MSE's spell check? Hasn't it learnt by now that Brexit is a word? Or MSE, for that matter?)

Pyxis

I know, looking back, that maybe I should have spoken to someone there, but in all the years I've been voting, it hadn't happened before, so I was completely taken aback, and I'm not good at thinking on my feet, unless someone's had an accident or is upset.

I also didn't want to risk causing a 'scene' at the actual polling station, IYSWIM.

It's never happened since, either.

However, if it were to, I would go back in and ask to speak quietly to the person in charge.

vivatifosi

Pyxis, that's terrible. A couple of my colleagues work as polling clerks so I will ask them.

Loanranger

Postal votes. That scuppers the exit pollsters!

Conrad

Pyxis wrote: »

You might find that you also get some very interesting wild flowers/weeds as well, although it's unlikely these days that you'd also end up with some very attractive but illicit plants as happened to some unsuspecting people in the past! :rotfl:

I did something similar one year, and got some fascinating 'weeds'. The trouble is, as I found, they can take hold very quickly and become an annual nuisance thereafter. However, if you don't let them self-seed, it could make for one interesting year.

I found some tall, architectural plants growing. One day, I saw that they were being stripped of their leaves by some brightly coloured caterpillars. I had never seen such colourful caterpillars, and as they were in full view of passing birds, I was amazed that they weren't picked off and munched.

A little research later and I discovered that I had a colony of cinnabar moth caterpillars, and the plants were ragwort. The caterpillars weren't eaten because they are very poisonous, hence the bright warning colour.
Ragwort is poisonous to horses, so is being eradicated in the countryside, and as a result, the cinnabar moth was becoming rare.

I had never seen a cinnabar moth, which is a day-flying moth, but was rewarded later on by some in my garden!

So, I had inadvertently done my bit for moth conservation!



Ps. I am nowhere near fields where horses are kept, so I felt it was ok to let the ragwort grow. Haven't had any since. The caterpillars denuded the plants, so they didn't seed!

I'll get a pic of the moths, as they are really lovely!

That's too cool!
I'd love to get those caterpillars in my garden, I might try find some Ragwort, this is just the kind of little project that make me contented.

I've seen lots of Cinbar moths between the higher and lower carparks at Lulworth on the big hill between.

I'm way more inland but been getting Humming bird moths the last few years I guess flown over from the EU lol

Now about that Ragwort....

Pyxis

Hummingbird moths are lovely!



Some people are scared of them, thinking that their proboscis is a 'sting'. :doh:

silvercar

I thought the rule was the pollster could only speak to you after you had voted, to avoid any accusation of vote swaying.

Outside my polling station was a guy filling in some forms so I offered him a view of my polling card and he said he was just surveying numbers. Maybe they are seeing the distribution of when people vote.

vivatifosi

I went to vote tonight and was surprised how busy it was. There must have been at least ten of us in at the same time to vote. Not Brexit crowds, but pretty good turnout for a local govt election.

michaels

Someone on our street had a placard up but no leaflets or polling cards so I guess we had no election. I don't think voting slips I have had have had any numbers on, they cross you off on a list and give you an annonymous piece of paper as far as I recall.

With a two slice toaster I reckon the slide facing the middle gets slightly more toasting as it also gets some heat from the element of the 'other' slot.

Pyxis

michaels wrote: »

Someone on our street had a placard up but no leaflets or polling cards so I guess we had no election. I don't think voting slips I have had have had any numbers on, they cross you off on a list and give you an annonymous piece of paper as far as I recall.

With a two slice toaster I reckon the slide facing the middle gets slightly more toasting as it also gets some heat from the element of the 'other' slot.

They do write a number on it that coincides with your name on the list. Honest!

Or the other way round. I can't remember. Either way, your voting slip is cross referenced to your name.

Have a good look in June, and watch what they do.