Vote 2005, week 4 - new poll again!

**Chris** · 26-04-2005, 09:21

As promised, this is the continuation of our Vote 2005 discussion, including another fresh poll to help us track voting intentions in the Parliamentary Constituency of Cable Forum.

Please vote in the poll, especially if you have voted in past weeks, so we can track any shift in voting intentions. You can find previous weeks' percentages in brackets next to each poll option, and this graphic, compiled by bmxbandit, shows how opinion has shifted so far:

As far as the political debate goes, week 3 ended like this:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...908#post457908

Carry on!

**Derek S** · 26-04-2005, 09:42

The only winner here looks to be apathy.

The whole campaign has left me even more jaded and cynical about it all. For the first time since I was 18 I really don't think I'll bother voting as they are all the same and only in it for themselves.

I think I could count on one hand the number of MP's or MSP's who I trust to be doing things for the good of the people and not just themselves.

bob_builder · 26-04-2005, 09:45

Looks like even Labour MPs will be voting LibDem:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...ge/4484043.stm

I wonder if we will see a further swing to the LibDems from Labour this week?

Millay · 26-04-2005, 09:51

Hmm interesting reading, certainly wit h the Conservatives up the top there, wonder if this is an insight to the demographic of the site??

STONEISLAND · 26-04-2005, 09:56

Hate to go

But I have not had my polling card yet. What do I need to do to get it.

orangebird · 26-04-2005, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunk4u

Hate to go

But I have not had my polling card yet. What do I need to do to get it.

First of all, make sure you're on the register to vote - this is one of main reasons that people don't get their cards, because they're not registered. If you are sure you're registered, you don't need a card to vote. Just show up in the right polling station at the right time.

Nugget · 26-04-2005, 10:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebird

First of all, make sure you're on the register to vote - this is one of main reasons that people don't get their cards, because they're not registered. If you are sure you're registered, you don't need a card to vote. Just show up in the right polling station at the right time.

^^^What she said

Anyway, my card only turned up yesterday and, let's face it, there are still 10 days until the election!

**Chris** · 26-04-2005, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunk4u

Hate to go

But I have not had my polling card yet. What do I need to do to get it.

Hmmm ... we got ours a couple of weeks ago. IIRC the deadline for getting on the register is this week, possibly even yesterday.

As OB says, you need to check. Call your borough council and ask for the returning officer's department - and quickly!

Aragorn · 26-04-2005, 10:19

My local election card arrived a couple of weeks ago and the General Election card yesterday.

As OB said, phone your local council and check you are on the register of electors - otherwise you've lost your vote

__________________

Back on topic, I seem to recall Jon Snow saying that even a 5 or 6% swing to Conservative would still leave Blair in power, due to the boundary changes iirc.

Angua · 26-04-2005, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by skunk4u

Hate to go

But I have not had my polling card yet. What do I need to do to get it.

If you are on the Electoral Register you don't need one to vote. It would be worth checking with your local council to find out where you vote and that you are on the register or if you know them a local Councillor.

__________________

Slightly

.

For those of you who are going to vote at a polling station the gang of people at the door with different coloured rosettes on are NOT going to mug you, they will ask for your poll number. ALL this will tell them is that you have visited the polling station, they will not even be able to tell if you have voted let alone who for.

Where it will help you is if you have told any canvassers that have contacted you and you said you will support their candidate they will not come knocking on your door later in the day to remind you to vote (it also explains the nagging leaflet on your doorstep when you get in from work).

**Chris** · 26-04-2005, 11:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angua

For those of you who are going to vote at a polling station the gang of people at the door with different coloured rosettes on are NOT going to mug you, they will ask for your poll number. ALL this will tell them is that you have visited the polling station, they will not even be able to tell if you have voted let alone who for.

Where it will help you is if you have told any canvassers that have contacted you and you said you will support their candidate they will not come knocking on your door later in the day to remind you to vote (it also explains the nagging leaflet on your doorstep when you get in from work).

Ah, a personal bugbear of mine. I absolutely hate the fact that the party activists are standing there to hassle me on my way out of the polling station. I prefer my vote to be absolutely anonymous in every way, which includes them not knowing if I've even been there.

Where I used to live there were always a couple of old codgers (one Labour, one Tory) sat there with their rosettes on, asking everybody their name on the way out and giving no indication that this information was voluntary and not part of the electoral process. I always declined to give them any information, much to their immense surprise. I think they had forgotten that they are not part of the electoral process either.

Nugget · 26-04-2005, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

Ah, a personal bugbear of mine. I absolutely hate the fact that the party activists are standing there to hassle me on my way out of the polling station. I prefer my vote to be absolutely anonymous in every way, which includes them not knowing if I've even been there.

Where I used to live there were always a couple of old codgers (one Labour, one Tory) sat there with their rosettes on, asking everybody their name on the way out and giving no indication that this information was voluntary and not part of the electoral process. I always declined to give them any information, much to their immense surprise. I think they had forgotten that they are not part of the electoral process either.

I'm with you on this one Chris - the ballot is supposed to be 100% secret, so why should anyone know if I've been there or not?

As for stopping them coming to my door later in the day - I don't get home until around 6 in the evening and won't be voting until after that so, if they want to waste a journey to get to my house, they are perfectly entitled to. If, however, I happen to be in when / if they come round, I hope that they won't be too disheartened with the rousing 'Sod Off!' that they will receive, as it will still be no business of theirs if I vote or not.

bob_builder · 26-04-2005, 11:20

I am also surprised by the weight put on "exit polls". They are always talking about them on election night on the BBC. I would have thought the vast majority of people would not want to say who they had voted for in the "anonymous" ballot.

If I was asked who I voted for I think I would tell them the opposite just to mess up their results!

This is just yet another reason why I prefer to vote by post.

**Chris** · 26-04-2005, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nugget

I'm with you on this one Chris - the ballot is supposed to be 100% secret, so why should anyone know if I've been there or not?

As for stopping them coming to my door later in the day - I don't get home until around 6 in the evening and won't be voting until after that so, if they want to waste a journey to get to my house, they are perfectly entitled to. If, however, I happen to be in when / if they come round, I hope that they won't be too disheartened with the rousing 'Sod Off!' that they will receive, as it will still be no business of theirs if I vote or not.

From the age of 18 until 26, I always voted in the town where I grew up, and there were never any party hacks hanging round my polling station. So it was, when we moved to Hemel Hempstead, and election time came round, I was taken completely by surprise by them. As I left the polling station, they asked 'could we have your name please?' and I shot back 'Now why would you want to know that?!' without slowing down. Mrs T gave them an apologetic look (and her name, which rather spoiled things as it wouldn't have taken Einstein to work out I was probably Mr T), and scolded me for being rude! But I wasn't being rude, I was being surprised and indignant ...

Nugget · 26-04-2005, 11:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

<snip>

'Surprised and indignant'? Is that the same sort of thing as 'tired and emotional'

Mrs Nug has actually got to the point now where she'll intercept people to get them out of my way, because she thinks that I'll just start being unpleasant

Mind you, she's probably right