Local Elections

It really depends how you see local elections. You might have a Conservative council that runs your local area well. They don’t debate national policy so it’s not necessarily the same as voting for the national party.

Similar in the US, a lot of people might vote Democrat at a national level but Republican at a local level.

I vote one party at the national level, another at a mayoral level and another at a local level.

I do take people’s points and I am quite aghast to be seen to be defending Conservative policies (which broadly speaking I don’t) but debate around legitimate, credible, mainstream politics absolutely must be civil or we weaken democracy (I believe).

I disagree, I don’t hate.

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Councils still run quite a lot of things and day to day services people rely on.

As it is, there have been boundary changes this time (at least here) which means there could be quite a few changes.

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It’s been plastered all over the news all day tbf. Now it’s passed 10pm and voting is over, the news still ramp up the coverage.

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Similar to others, this election seems like it has been low effort compared to previous ones, it’s like everyone has just given up on this shit show of a world.

Really not a fan of those who don’t vote. People went to extreme measures to get all adults the vote and to not vote is just throwing away all that hard work.

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Not sure how you expect the person you want to get elected when you can’t even be bothered to vote for them though?

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I hear that quite a lot, and while I’m someone who never misses an opportunity to vote, I can perfectly understand those who choose not to. I see voting as expressing an opinion, and not voting is also expressing an opinion. It’s the equivalent of writing ‘none of the above’ on the ballot paper. I’m not sure what the turnout was yesterday, but I’m going to guess that you aren’t a fan of the majority of the electorate.

As to people going to extreme measures to get all adults a vote, I’m sceptical about attributing motive to people I don’t know, but I prefer to think that those people went to those measures to give people the freedom to vote. We have the freedom to do lots of things; that doesn’t mean we have to do them, or that we should do them.

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Personal choice at the end of the day.

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Doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

Right by whom? Everyone makes a choice that is right for them, just because it might seem wrong to you doesn’t mean that it is wrong or wrong for the person concerned.

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Right by society. It means elections aren’t really anything to do with what the people want. It’s just based on the views of those who bothered to tick a box or rank some choices. That isn’t right for society or by democracy. People fought to get the vote and people who can’t be bothered to vote for their preferred candidate is just throwing away all that effort.

You can come out with nonsense reasons why people don’t vote, but all it boils down to is people not doing right for society or for themselves. Let’s say there are 5 parties. There is one of these I like more than the rest. By choosing not to vote, one of the 4 parties I dislike more than that one I prefer could get in. That doesn’t help anyone. I am throwing away my vote for a ridiculous reason despite the fact there is a party I prefer, even if not by much.

You could argue that people fought for the right to vote, not to be forced to vote.

The right to vote implies the right not to.

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They never were. I’m not sure how far back you’d have to go to find a general election where the winning party gained over 50% of the electorate. I’m not sure it’s ever happened in this country.

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Doesn’t really matter what your opinion is, if people don’t want to vote that’s on them. It’s nothing to do with anyone else. So if you’re a fan of voting or not… Move on. More to life than what’s right or wrong about voting.

I know my opinion doesn’t matter. So what? Your opinion doesn’t matter.

Voting is important. Voting and politics impacts all of our lives. Certain parties make lives worse and people not voting let’s these parties continue to make our lives worse. I am not going to “move on” because people like you don’t like my opinion. I am not going to “move on” because people care so little they are willing to stand by and make people’s lives worse.

:yawning_face::yawning_face: that kind of attitude will never change anyone’s opinion who doesn’t vote. Just drivers them away even more.

And with that I’m done, as there’s more pressing things going on in the world than local elections.

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Personally, I would want voting mandatary, but have a “none of the above” choice. This means everyone’s voice is heard but also people do have to at least think a small bit about what they are voting for.

People who don’t vote don’t have their voice heard. People might make up ridiculous reasons to justify it, but in the end it boils down to people caring so little about society and people’s lives that they can’t be bothered to tick a box, rank some choices, or spoil a ballet.

Because voting, in my opinion, is pointless.

I feel as though whatever happens, is due to happen regardless of who is in power, be it Tory or whoever else.

When I see a better change for our pockets not theirs, I’ll possibly consider a vote, but the past few years is a :poop: show so haven’t bothered.

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Yawning? Really? Because I am sharing an opinion you don’t like and find politics more important than you do?

I am not trying to change people’s opinions. I am giving my own opinion, like so many other people are allowed to on this forum. I am going to share my opinion even if you don’t like it.

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It’s not pointless. Different parties focus on different things and put different things in place. To pretend as if everything will be the same is just wrong and strongly supports my point that the vast majority of people who don’t vote do it for ridiculous reasons.

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