Remember to Vote on Thursday 7th May 2015...

[David Oldridge]

Dear WareOnline

Just a reminder for you to Vote on Thursday 7th May!!!

I see lots of good discussion here but please remember to actually vote, and please encourage others to vote too.

Turnout at the last East Herts election in 2011 was a paltry 42% and in the GE 2010 it was still only 70%.

Polling Stations are open from 7am until 10pm.

I would obviously prefer you to vote Conservative however if, having given it proper consideration, you chose to vote for another party then fair enough.

If however you don't vote at all, despite being able to, and you dislike the result then you don't really have a right to protest afterwards.

It'll take you about 5mins to Vote...that's all!

Kind regards

David Oldridge

@WareOldridge
oldridge4waretrinity@gmail.com

[Pat-H]

I'd add that you may feel there is no suitable or trustworthy option presented on the ballot paper to allow you to make a selection.
If you really can't see an option, rather than not vote at all, I'd encourage spoiling your ballet paper.
Spoilt votes are still counted and announced.
Imagine the position a winning candidate would be in if the spoilt votes amounted to more than their vote....

So whatever you feel about the election process and the limited choices make the effort to attend the polling station and make some sort of mark.

[The Masked Woler]

...Imagine the position a winning candidate would be in if the spoilt votes amounted to more than their vote....

They would be in the position of having won.

Spoilt votes simply count as invalid votes along with those where people have made mistakes and not filled the slip in correctly.

In many cases the winners votes are outnumbered by those who didn't vote at all - they still win.

[Andy B]

Here in NZ election day since 1951 is on a Saturday and I wonder if doing so in the UK would increase the turnout? In 2014 the turnout in NZ was 77.9% which was considered low with the highest in fairly recent years being 1984's 93.7% I assume there is a good reason for the UK always voting on a Thursday although tradition would not be a good reason.

[Mancunian]

won't be voting as i've never voted, don't see the point as all as bad as each other, promise this and that an never do it just same verbal rubbish. Ever since i've lived in Ware it's always been Tory so nothing going to change, just my opinion.....

[Andy B]

won't be voting as i've never voted, don't see the point as all as bad as each other, promise this and that an never do it just same verbal rubbish. Ever since i've lived in Ware it's always been Tory so nothing going to change, just my opinion.....

Its the many people like yourself that stop changes being made at least vote by putting a line through the voting sheet it will then be counted otherwise you are just a non voting statistic.

[Mel]

too many people round the world cannot vote and how many people have died in the past so that WE can vote? Please vote, use it or lose it

[IGS]

As David Oldridge said (help! I'm agreeing with a Tory ) if you don't vote then you don't really have a right to protest. At least turn up to your polling station and register that you have done so then at least you can moan about the result.
If you wish to spoil your ballot paper try to write something humorous. That at least will give some light relief to the candidates who all get to see the spoilt papers.

[Ian]

won't be voting as i've never voted, don't see the point as all as bad as each other, promise this and that an never do it just same verbal rubbish. Ever since i've lived in Ware it's always been Tory so nothing going to change, just my opinion.....

I fully understand your position and I can't (and won't) blame you for not voting, especially in this constituency. I'd be very interested to know what, in your opinion, needs to change so that you would vote?

Anyone else can answer too who doesn't intend to vote...

[Pat-H]

...Imagine the position a winning candidate would be in if the spoilt votes amounted to more than their vote....

They would be in the position of having won.

Spoilt votes simply count as invalid votes along with those where people have made mistakes and not filled the slip in correctly.

In many cases the winners votes are outnumbered by those who didn't vote at all - they still win.

There is a big difference from spoilt votes and non voters. Most non voters state the lack of a real choice but I suspect for many it's just apathy and lack of interest or engagement. These are the people who are quite happy to have society resolve around them but have no engagement with it.

So my original point was a winning candidate who had a count lower than those who made the effort to register their disapproval at the options presented to them would indeed have won but everyone would know they weren't the choice of the majority.

The current system isn't perfect and increasingly seems to be causing a growing divide between the people and the system.
That's why I ask everyone to attend their polling station. At least put that much effort in. If you can't even be bothered to wander along at some point in the day and even put a big cross through the whole paper then you really do just have to take what the next 5 years dishes out.