going to the polls

[llywela]

Polling day in the Welsh Assembly Elections. Wouldn't it be nice if I felt that any of my local candidates had really gone all out to secure my vote? *sigh* Still, heckling the tellers on the door is always great fun. *G*

Comments

[rosely.livejournal.com]

here it's always a big mess. The party that I actually agree with, is so small and makes nothing happen, and the rest is all too left or too right... :(

But the campains here suck... we hardly know what they do, you always have to read all stuff yourself... *rolleyes*

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

See, the last time we had elections I felt I could make a really informed decision, as several of the candidates had been canvassing voters on street corners. I was able to talk to them about their policies and decide whether or not I agreed with them enough to give them my support. This time I haven't seen any candidates out canvassing in the streets, and have barely had any literature delivered to the house. It's a really poor showing

[rosely.livejournal.com]

to me it sounds like luxury that they went out the other time ;)
Here they only do that a bit for the general government elections...

[nikkimisplaced.livejournal.com]

Polling day for us too and I decided nobody deserved my vote this year. Besides you know whoever you vote for isn't working for you, they are working for the corporations who put them on this path of corruption... I hate the whole lot of it now /rant :D

*hugs*

[jayres.livejournal.com]

No one has come to our door and we have only had one piece of literature through the letter box. This area is staunchly Conservative and has been for ever, so I think the Tories are complacent and the rest have no hope!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Stupid arrogant politicians, huh.

I haven't had anyone to my door, either, and no one on street corners canvassing, barely any literature. The tellers on the door I mentioned are those officious people who stand outside the polling stations and demand to see the polling cards of everyone who goes in or out, and insist you tell them who you're voting for. It's completely against the law for them to do any of that, although the police tend not to be too bothered about their presence unless someone complains, and I take great delight in arguing the matter with them whenever I vote.

With none of my candidates having gone all out, or even a little bit out, to impress me with their policies, I think my best bet is to deliberately spoil my paper with a little note explaining why I don't want to vote for any of them!

[rosie55.livejournal.com]

Only one party has canvassed here this year, the candidates put up by the other parties don't even live in the town so I do hope they don't get elected, though one is the Conservative so she might, even though she is the person put up for any vacancy where they can't find a local candidate. Nothing like a bit of commitment, is there? How much use a Councillor living twelve miles away would be to the town I can't think. And because there is a fourth party candidate, a Green, standing, that may take enough votes away from the sitting LibDem to get the Conservative elected.
I object vigorously to the tellers at Polling Station, too and always refuse to give them my number and wouldn't dream of telling them who I vote for. If they dared to ask me, I'd formally complain to the Police, I think.
However, that fine stand on principle ends up being somewhat diminished in real life. I live in a small place and a lot of people know me, so I sail past the tellers refusing to give them my details and they tick me off on their list anyway! Today when I walked into the Polling Station (where there are two stations in the same room), all of the polling clerks greeted me warmly by my Christian name (I think I caught them at a quiet moment!) and one of them pointed towards the other desk. I had to laugh and said "Not that you know who I am and exactly where I live or anything!" He was a postman, to be fair, so I can't really complain about that, but it does feel a bit goldfish bowly here at times! Nothing like a bit of privacy and anonymity when you go to vote, is there?
I went bananas one year when one of the candidates rang me at home at about 6.30pm to remind me I hadn't voted. I said I knew I hadn't voted and if he ever did that again, I would never vote for them again (not that I did anyway, though he didn't know that!) They've never rung since. Small town politics!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Politics = madness. Even more mad is the concept that we live in a democracy...

Apparently, my ward remains Lib Dem post-election.