Local Elections 2018

[killer b]

Two people before 8 at my polling station.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

There's a great piece of nominative determinism in Cambridge - one of the Tory candidates is named Bygott.

 

[Artaxerxes]

No leaflets from any party again this year.

So it’s a tory dominated council and a very tory ward where labour has only got a fraction of the vote ever.

So I’m going to have to choose between drawing a cock on the ballot, voting Lib Dem who may stand a chance of getting a in whisker of the tory bloke or staying at home.

Shit I can’t be arsed.

 

[Badgers]

Considering how much news time is given to politics and how much it changes people's lives this country is still very apathetic.

Just been down to vote. There was a couple of elderly party members checking voter numbers and three elderly people handing out voter forms. A small mostly obscured 'polling station' sign was all that was there. As I was leaving the current (Tory) councillor was waddling out of his Range Rover.

I had a doorstep visit from Labour (I delivered labour leaflets so everyone got one) and a posted card from the Tories. Nothing else apart from a Labour stall over recent weeks in the town square.

Really think that voting should be mandatory and more done in education to raise political awareness.

 

[chilango]

Considering how much news time is given to politics and how much it changes people's lives this country is still very apathetic.

Just been down to vote. There was a couple of elderly party members checking voter numbers and three elderly people handing out voter forms. A small mostly obscured 'polling station' sign was all that was there. As I was leaving the current (Tory) councillor was waddling out of his Range Rover.

I had a doorstep visit from Labour (I delivered labour leaflets so everyone got one) and a posted card from the Tories. Nothing else apart from a Labour stall over recent weeks in the town square.

Really think that voting should be mandatory and more done in education to raise political awareness.

Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy.

 

[Badgers]

Just spoke to neighbours. One of them said they would not vote because they did not know the candidates. I asked which party they favoured and they said Labour. So told them to vote for the Labour candidate. Her response was 'how will I know who is who'

Other neighbour is an Italian who is married to a Polish woman. He said he is voting UKIP because there are too many immigrants coming here

 

[Beermoth]

It's Local Election Day! Get the beers in, have a sesh. #Sesh

 

[Badgers]

Richard said:
Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy.

Just add a tick box that states 'no confidence'

 

[Slo-mo]

One of the reasons for the apathy surely has to be very safe Labour or Tory wards. I'm against PR at Westminster but it might be worth a try locally.

Or maybe having 'propositions' on the ballot paper as in the States.

It'll be interesting to see the final turnout figures.

 

[Badgers]

One of the reasons for the apathy surely has to be very safe Labour or Tory wards. I'm against PR at Westminster but it might be worth a try locally.

Or maybe having 'propositions' on the ballot paper as in the States.

It'll be interesting to see the final turnout figures.

Agreed. PR would be a great step forward. Also lowering the voting age to 16 as well as mandatory voting. The current politicians won't want any of that sadly.

 

[killer b]

Agreed. PR would be a great step forward. Also lowering the voting age to 16 as well as mandatory voting. The current politicians won't want any of that sadly.

This is bollocks. People aren't interested in local politics because they recognise that local politicians have fuck all say in much of importance. Make politics relevant and you don't need to force people to vote.

 

[Badgers]

Make politics relevant and you don't need to force people to vote.

Ha ha ha

 

[andysays]

I've had numerous leaflets from the Greens over the past couple of weeks. It's definitely between them and the new Momentum Labour candidates who have replaced the previous HDV backing councillors.

I was tempted to vote for them, partially as a "fuck you" to the outgoing councillors, but still haven't made up my mind...

 

[cybershot]

Only had a Labour leaflet, normally safe area for them here.

My nans area has been under the greens now for several years, and fair play to them, they get stuck in and post newsletters through peoples door quite regular with what they are up to.

 

[belboid]

Such a massive a scrum to get to the booths today, I almost gave up.

Okay, there was one person in there, and one person did ask me where the polling station was. I still almost gave up.

 

[Wilf]

There's a great piece of nominative determinism in Cambridge - one of the Tory candidates is named Bygott.

One day, we may even get an American presidential candidate named after a bottom burp.

 

[bemused]

Went and voted, only used one of my votes because none of the other candidates seemed worth the bother. Only a few people milling around.

 

[Sue]

Really think that voting should be mandatory and more done in education to raise political awareness.

My political awareness is very high which is exactly why I won't be voting for any of them.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Voted earlier this morning. Polling station in a sheltered housing type thing for the elderly - a few people in the polling station but not busy. Voted Green and two Labour.

 

[philosophical]

Not a secret ballot anyway. They can trace who you voted for. Which might be an issue if anybody wanted to track down a limited number of voters for a minority party.

 

[killer b]

I think there's easier ways to monitor nutters and extremists nowadays. Tracking posts on political forums for example.

 

[kebabking]

voted at 7am - only because i know i won't be arsed once i've finished work, rather than wild-eyed enthusiasm - a good dozen people waiting for the doors to open, with only about half of them the usual suspects like me. the others seemed to have an actual desire to vote...

oddly, here in rural Wooshere, the (very few) posters in windows were all for the Lab candidate, while the flyers and other rubbish through the letterbox were Tory and Libdem with nothing from Lab.

 

[Epona]

If I didn't watch the news I wouldn't even know there was an election today (and I am in Newham where we have lots of votes to cast - 3 for council and 1 and alt vote for mayor) - seriously nothing through the door. I wouldn't be surprised if this one has a record low turnout

 

[Slo-mo]

Me neither.

 

[Brainaddict]

I'm in another right wing labour one-party fiefdom. I'll drag myself reluctantly to the polling station later to register a protest vote for candidates neither Labour nor Tory, just to show I'm alive and slightly annoyed. Elections are so great.

 

[Badgers]

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I'm in another right wing labour one-party fiefdom. I'll drag myself reluctantly to the polling station later to register a protest vote for candidates neither Labour nor Tory, just to show I'm alive and slightly annoyed. Elections are so great.

Take your inspiration from this dog.

 

[Plumdaff]

No elections here. On the point of voter apathy there's been a recent study stating that people in Wales are the most disengaged and apathetic about politics in the UK. Cue much hand wringing about ignorance when it's obvious Welsh people understand quite accurately that they're in a Blairite one party state. Politics here is the Progress wing of a London borough getting a country to run. Forcing people to write wanker on a ballot paper won't solve that.

 

[DotCommunist]

No elections here. On the point of voter apathy there's been a recent study stating that people in Wales are the most disengaged and apathetic about politics in the UK. Cue much hand wringing about ignorance when it's obvious Welsh people understand quite accurately that they're in a Blairite one party state. Politics here is the Progress wing of a London borough getting a country to run. Forcing people to write wanker on a ballot paper won't solve that.

minimum turnouts for vote validity. If you can't get more than 40% of the electorate out to participate in the vote then its a bust flush, go away and come back with candidates and policies people will vote for.

or you know, burn it all

 

[Pickman's model]

No elections here. On the point of voter apathy there's been a recent study stating that people in Wales are the most disengaged and apathetic about politics in the UK. Cue much hand wringing about ignorance when it's obvious Welsh people understand quite accurately that they're in a Blairite one party state. Politics here is the Progress wing of a London borough getting a country to run. Forcing people to write wanker on a ballot paper won't solve that.

shouldn't write wanker on a ballot paper when you can write 'dim gwerth rhech dafad' instead.