I managed to take a swerve on it this year due to childcare. But Mrs BF is out doing it - left home at 0530. Expected ETA 2330. It’s a long one - and with only PCC going on here, a largely quiet day too!
I took the toddler on the way to the childminder. I told him we were choosing the bosses.
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Just did mine on the way home from work, won’t tell the Missus as we are politically opposed and she might forget 
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Just spoken to my polling station. They’ve so far had less than 90 people come in today!
But even with so low numbers, people still have the right to vote and can’t complain when they have councils or PCCs who are elected who are either corrupt or useless.
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Oh but they will.
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Oh indeed, but in my view, don’t go to the polling station and receive a voting slip and vote, then your complaints are voided in my eyes.
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Or get a postal vote 
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In some inner city constituencies they just weigh them.
100% at the very least go and spoil you ballot.
Low turnout it’s a problem with the electorate, high turnout with lots of “none of the above” it’s a problem with the candidates.
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Make voting mandatory, with improved lessons in schools about what democracy is, the way our voting system currently works, how people become MPs and Lords etc.
Then add a “None of the Above” box. If that has the most votes, an election is held again and none of the original candidates are eligible to stand, even if they’re an incumbent.
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drifting into a Sunday politics thread here but i think that is a dangerous stance to take - people could simply use it to be difficult, protest the system rather than the people/candidates
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Australia has mandatory voting, and they don’t have that issue.
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do they have “none of the above” option which means the vote is recast with new candidates?
that is the issue i am identifying.
I am all for “mandatory voting” and like the "none of the above " option
but to suggest “none of the above” then means the vote is repeated with new candidates I am against and is the “issue” i think is a dangerous stance
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It’s fine to hold a different opinion on how our system should work; it only really becomes “Sunday Politics” if we start talking party politics, which none of us are doing here.
I’d be curious to know what “none of the above” gaining the most votes would mean in your view?
Election is rerun and like any election you can stand if you pay your deposit.
As @daws1159 says
Back in the distance past we had ‘reopen nominations’ as a choice in student union elections.
It rarely happened but it did allow a protest vote without spoiling the paper or posting a blank ballot.
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MMH, Mrs Secret is pregnant and we’ve announced it to the world.
You all being part of the world now know too.
That is all.
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no - i would see “Sunday politics” as a “go to” thread for all thing political
it is a very good question - if “none of the above” where a party in their own right they would “win”
The trouble i have with voting locally for national PM is it makes no sense and so is my protest vote a vote against the 6 local candidates as none of them seem to take my view on local issues seriously or is it a protest against Westminster?
I often find myself torn between who I want in govt as the PM/party in Govt and the local MP I want running the town (ok i know there is a council involvement too).
While my local MP is keen to deal with the lack of progress on a bypass issue which has been causing traffic problems for the last 10 years, they belong to a party I do not want in power.
So I would see a “none of the above” as an option for those who are forced to vote by a mandatory system, but either don’t care enough to pick anyone, or simply wish to protest
I do see the point if none of the candidates win a majority of “none of the above” what does that mean…but is it really viable to suggest a different set of 6 would change the situation that much?
Personally i doubt it - the flyers we get through the post all the parties are pushing the same local issues - as they are all issues which are present locally which the majority of local voters want sorted.
it makes sense that the local manifesto reacts to what voters want - thus whether, red, blue, yellow, green, purple or other, much of what they pledge is the same - ie there is little to choose between them, and so the vote is more for the party in power (the PM) than a genuine choice between Tom, Dick and Harriet, as by and large they are identical.
so it would be hard to suggest a “none of the above” is a vote for “change in candidates” as the replacement 6 are likely to pick up on the same local issues to get voted locally.
Critically where will it end if the same “none of the above” result comes out on top time after time…?
4 time around the voting and it is still coming out as “none of the above” what should we expect from the 5th attempt?
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Almost missing my train. Hear me out, it’s made me happy as it was satisfyingly close. 25 min drive from home to station, then car park faff and turnstile faff, walk over to the right platform and train stops just as i get to the bottom of the stairs. No speeding or running required!
This was 10s away from being a GMG post 