Fun and games with ballot papers

[Serial_Apologist]

One thing which could well lower the elderly turn-out would be snowy weather. Some weather forecasters are forecasting this on the 12th!

[Bella Kemp]

A hung parliament would at least reflect the wishes of the people. Momentum Labour cheer one of the latest polls which gives them 35% and the Tories consider themselves doing well at 42%. That's equivalent to feeling chuffed you got 3.5 or 4.2 out of ten in a school exam. Most people don't want either of these ghastly mutations of both parties and would surely prefer if politicians could just stop their absurd bickering and join a coalition so that with talk and compromise we could have a parliament that truly reflects what the public wants.

[Bryn]

One thing which could well lower the elderly turn-out would be snowy weather. Some weather forecasters are forecasting this on the 12th!

Nah, they'll use postal voting or proxies.

[LMcD]

Nah, they'll use postal voting or proxies.

I think you're right - I suspect that the great majority of those who are determined to vote will do so come what may, while the great majority of those those who aren't probably wouldn't bother even if they were offered a lift to and from the polling station. Adrian Chiles fronted a programme on Radio 4 the other day about the 18 million people who could have voted in 2017 but didn't for various reasons. (The fact that I dozed off while listening reflects more on my age than the programme than on its presenter).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bvxl

[Richard Barrett]

Well, I hope more people than at the last election will realise how much is at stake this time around and participate accordingly. If you look at the parties and see which have been encouraging people to register and which haven't you get a fairly accurate picture of how committed to democracy they respectively are.

[gradus]

Good to see 1m.or so newly registered voters under 25.

[muzzer]

Good to see 1m.or so newly registered voters under 25.

Absolutely. If the lunacy of recent years has shown anything it’s that democracy is a participative process. Hard won.

[Richard Barrett]

Absolutely. If the lunacy of recent years has shown anything it’s that democracy is a participative process. Hard won.

Yes, I wish more people would take that seriously. There's always so much scoffing on a thread like this and so little optimism.

[ahinton]

Good to see 1m.or so newly registered voters under 25.

It is indeed. I wonder how many of them will have registered for postal voting - a more certain process, I think (insofar as any voting process can be trusted).

[Serial_Apologist]

“Democracy is even more important for what it prevents than for what it provides.”
(the late) Clive James

Were the new technology we were once told would increase leisure time for fruitful pursuits (potentially) rather than, as now, used just to make some more competitive while others are thrown on the scrap heap and therby made to feel useless and excluded, democracy in its truest sense could facilitate greater involvement by larger sectors of populations than just putting crosses on ballot papers every few years. It's true that it would doubtless make for slower growth on current desiderata, but that growth would be more selective, with inputs from public consultation forums that would make a reality rather than propaganda tool out of market research, and be more sustainable, too.

[Dave2002]

“Democracy is even more important for what it prevents than for what it provides.”
(the late) Clive James

Over the last few years I have been involved with organisations trying to prevent some actions. I never thought I'd do that, as in the past I was nearly always in favour of "progress".

I agree with the sentiments expressed in the quote - though selectively, of course.

[jayne lee wilson]

TRUMP ON THE VERGE OF IMPEACHMENT
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world...

UK on the verge of "trade deals" with USA, China etc.....

Just perfectly....

USE your vote.... tactically, updating your constituency knowledge as late as you can....

"Never stop fighting till the fight is done"

[Serial_Apologist]

The latest leaflet through the letterbox just now:

"YOUR LABOUR CANDIDATED FOR

(nice photo of candidate)

DULWICH AND WEST
NORWOOD (PLUS BRIXTON)

Helen
Hayes"



I'd be willing to bet the residents of Brixton would be delighted to know they're an add-on!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

According to one of the leaflets stuffed in the post recently was one which told me that we are at a "cross roads". A sort of less impassioned road rage?