Anyone else voting today?
Discussion
Local council and PCC elections.
Turned up just after dropping daughter off at school to vote. Place was quiet. Hardly anybody was there. That was just after 9am though, so it may pick up later.
PCC is, in my opinion, a waste of time. I mentioned that on the voting card. The chap who has been our local PCC for the last few years made a job for his mate and pays him thousands and thousands of pounds a year. I don't know what he has done for the area. A neighbour of mine had him involved in some discussions about issues in the area and nothing has been done since. Waste of good money.
I also wrote a few choice sentences on the local council election card. I have had contact with the current person in the role, trying to get some sense about issues and some action taken. Nothing is ever done though, everything is always being 'discussed'. Meeting after meeting. Another fine waste of time. It's also the usual issue of people you have never heard of emerging from the woodwork.
Anyone else taken the time to turn up and vote? At least I can say I turned up and noted my concerns.
Oh yes. I have noticed that this time around, the candidates are canvassing based on their chosen party. If I remember correctly, the last time we had local elections, we were told to think about the person and not the party they represent. It's basically party politics this time around.
Turned up just after dropping daughter off at school to vote. Place was quiet. Hardly anybody was there. That was just after 9am though, so it may pick up later.
PCC is, in my opinion, a waste of time. I mentioned that on the voting card. The chap who has been our local PCC for the last few years made a job for his mate and pays him thousands and thousands of pounds a year. I don't know what he has done for the area. A neighbour of mine had him involved in some discussions about issues in the area and nothing has been done since. Waste of good money.
I also wrote a few choice sentences on the local council election card. I have had contact with the current person in the role, trying to get some sense about issues and some action taken. Nothing is ever done though, everything is always being 'discussed'. Meeting after meeting. Another fine waste of time. It's also the usual issue of people you have never heard of emerging from the woodwork.
Anyone else taken the time to turn up and vote? At least I can say I turned up and noted my concerns.
Oh yes. I have noticed that this time around, the candidates are canvassing based on their chosen party. If I remember correctly, the last time we had local elections, we were told to think about the person and not the party they represent. It's basically party politics this time around.
No, because my local councillor race is between a Tory and a Lib Dem, and neither one has actually told me anything about what they would do for my local community. They have done a great job of telling me why I shouldn't vote for the other chap though and it's all to do with their political allegiances - "the nasty Conservatives are this", "the naughty Lib Dems are that".
So no I won't bother today.
So no I won't bother today.
To be hoest I thought about not voting, the only 2 parties with a chance in my ward are Labour and Lib Dem.
Tories have no chance, and probably never will (Thatcher - mining comminuty)
However, we are also voting on the way our council works - strong leader or committee model.
Local labour candidate (and our Labour MP) have been very visible on Social media over the past fwew months, but haven't really achieved much.
For the first time in my life I might vote Lib Dem, just as a tactical vote to unseat labour.
Tories have no chance, and probably never will (Thatcher - mining comminuty)
However, we are also voting on the way our council works - strong leader or committee model.
Local labour candidate (and our Labour MP) have been very visible on Social media over the past fwew months, but haven't really achieved much.
For the first time in my life I might vote Lib Dem, just as a tactical vote to unseat labour.
Convert said:
To be hoest I thought about not voting, the only 2 parties with a chance in my ward are Labour and Lib Dem.
Tories have no chance, and probably never will (Thatcher - mining comminuty)
However, we are also voting on the way our council works - strong leader or committee model.
Local labour candidate (and our Labour MP) have been very visible on Social media over the past fwew months, but haven't really achieved much.
For the first time in my life I might vote Lib Dem, just as a tactical vote to unseat labour.
I live in an area that is a sea of blue. It's been blue for as long as I can remember. Our council is vast majority blue. It will most probably be blue again tomorrow, but I still wanted to turn up and spoil the card.Tories have no chance, and probably never will (Thatcher - mining comminuty)
However, we are also voting on the way our council works - strong leader or committee model.
Local labour candidate (and our Labour MP) have been very visible on Social media over the past fwew months, but haven't really achieved much.
For the first time in my life I might vote Lib Dem, just as a tactical vote to unseat labour.
I think postal votes will make things look a lot quieter this time around but in my area at least it's a one horse race for a local "independent" party made up of disgraced ex-Labour councillors with an axe to grind, Conservatives in different hats and a couple of "good egg" locals that make their photo op appearances more public the month leading up to to the vote.
The same party that blocks anyone who questions anything they do (or don't do) or tries to engage with them in any way. The party that visits people on their doorstep to threaten them if they say anything they don't agree with. The party that's closed a major road to pedestrianise it for the benefit of a couple of bars so they can have seats outside but at the cost of traffic chaos on all surrounding routes. The party with a councillor that setup a fake Facebook profile using the details of a dead person to troll other parties on their pages. The one boosting their reserves by hundreds of thousands each year by not spending any money on local issues.
But apparently nobody cares about any of this and there's no viable alternatives (and none have even tried to canvas, some don't even have an online presence) so they'll be in again
As for the mayor stuff, I can't see a single candidate I could support.
The same party that blocks anyone who questions anything they do (or don't do) or tries to engage with them in any way. The party that visits people on their doorstep to threaten them if they say anything they don't agree with. The party that's closed a major road to pedestrianise it for the benefit of a couple of bars so they can have seats outside but at the cost of traffic chaos on all surrounding routes. The party with a councillor that setup a fake Facebook profile using the details of a dead person to troll other parties on their pages. The one boosting their reserves by hundreds of thousands each year by not spending any money on local issues.
But apparently nobody cares about any of this and there's no viable alternatives (and none have even tried to canvas, some don't even have an online presence) so they'll be in again
As for the mayor stuff, I can't see a single candidate I could support.
Edited by thetapeworm on Thursday 6th May 10:43
I think for the first time since I was eligible I won't bother,
The council elections are largely irrelevant, its just a talking shop and nothing seems to change regardless of the hue of the majority party. We have to elect some kind of Police commissioner and I have no idea who the candidates are, or why they want to fill this seemingly made up role. Plus we have some kind of Mayoral election and I have no clue who the candidates for that are either, nor can I see the point in this additional political role.
Must be getting grumpy and old to feel this disenfranchised...
The council elections are largely irrelevant, its just a talking shop and nothing seems to change regardless of the hue of the majority party. We have to elect some kind of Police commissioner and I have no idea who the candidates are, or why they want to fill this seemingly made up role. Plus we have some kind of Mayoral election and I have no clue who the candidates for that are either, nor can I see the point in this additional political role.
Must be getting grumpy and old to feel this disenfranchised...
, so they must mean something.bnseven said:
I think for the first time since I was eligible I won't bother,
The council elections are largely irrelevant, its just a talking shop and nothing seems to change regardless of the hue of the majority party. We have to elect some kind of Police commissioner and I have no idea who the candidates are, or why they want to fill this seemingly made up role. Plus we have some kind of Mayoral election and I have no clue who the candidates for that are either, nor can I see the point in this additional political role.
Must be getting grumpy and old to feel this disenfranchised...
Same here, we moved house recently and I didn't even bother registering to vote. As someone who has always voted, I wouldn't be surprised if I never bother again.The council elections are largely irrelevant, its just a talking shop and nothing seems to change regardless of the hue of the majority party. We have to elect some kind of Police commissioner and I have no idea who the candidates are, or why they want to fill this seemingly made up role. Plus we have some kind of Mayoral election and I have no clue who the candidates for that are either, nor can I see the point in this additional political role.
Must be getting grumpy and old to feel this disenfranchised...
I am ashamed that I voted for Boris considering the complete mess they have made of lockdown. I am trying to check myself out of watching the news or caring anymore as I find worrying about things beyond my control is ultimately pointless.
I thought I had registered at my new address, but the polling cards did not turn up. I may still be registered; would involve going down to the polling station to check. I am not sure I can be bothered - I am another who has always voted and thought it was important that people use their vote, but I don't know who the local candidates are (I looked up the Mayoral candidates last night, it seems to be Labour / Tory / vast number of looneys), I don't want to vote for Labour or the Tories, so perhaps I just won't vote for anyone.
When I unfolded the PCC voting slip I was surprised to see that I was supposed to vote twice, first and second choice. After voting for the least obnoxious candidate, I was at a loss who else to endorse, so I turned and asked the official if I really had to use the second vote. Would it invalidate the ballot paper if I didn't? I said I really didn't see the point in encouraging the buggers.
The guy said that one vote only would be alright. I hope he was right, but to the best of my recollection nowhere on the instructions did it say this.
The guy said that one vote only would be alright. I hope he was right, but to the best of my recollection nowhere on the instructions did it say this.
I will be. I'm still of the view that no matter how good or bad the candidates if you vote you have the legitimacy to moan about the failings of politics and the opportunity to change it. If you don't, well, you don't really have any grounds to have a view and why should any elected official bother with your opinion. There was a choice and you chose not to make your voice heard. It's the very foundation of democracy, you may not like it but I'm told a dictatorship can be far worse.
FWIW, I also think that very few candidates are truly outstanding, but likewise, very few deliberately set out to ruin things. They just have alternative views on how things should evolve and what the priorities should be.
FWIW, I also think that very few candidates are truly outstanding, but likewise, very few deliberately set out to ruin things. They just have alternative views on how things should evolve and what the priorities should be.
Foregone conclusion round here, so much so that the Labour candidate has put himself up for both county and local councils council seats. I suspect he will get neither.
I decided to have a look at the candidates for the PCC candidates. Only two had written any sort of justification for their selection. The others just seemed to have a link to their Facebook profiles with some holiday pics on.
I will still vote though, even if just to spoil the ballot paper. Cant be doing with people saying they wont vote. The correct response for "they are all s
t I don't want to vote for any of them" is a spolt paper - not voting at all just means you don't care and accept whatever (and will start a thread on PH to complain about it).
I decided to have a look at the candidates for the PCC candidates. Only two had written any sort of justification for their selection. The others just seemed to have a link to their Facebook profiles with some holiday pics on.
I will still vote though, even if just to spoil the ballot paper. Cant be doing with people saying they wont vote. The correct response for "they are all s
t I don't want to vote for any of them" is a spolt paper - not voting at all just means you don't care and accept whatever (and will start a thread on PH to complain about it).Thinking about putting a cross down for Count Binface to be London Mayor.
https://www.countbinface.com/
https://www.countbinface.com/
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