How will you vote in the Staffordshire County Council elections 2013?

[Lunar Scorpion]

You still haven't answered my question, tek-monkey.

 

[tek-monkey]

I didn't realise it was a question! If you don't like who got in your only option was to tactically vote against them, if everyone did that we may have ended up with the other useless party instead. Since we have no form of PR we're stuck with either red or blue, very little chance of anything else. If you don't want blue then vote red, and vice versa. Statistically nobody's vote counts, it is such a small percentage, yet at the same time nobody can win without votes.

If you don't like who's in power vote against them, if your vote seems pointless then tough, the uk voted against any system where your opinion matters. I doubt it will change in your lifetime either, certainly not in mine. Thats democracy for you, enjoy.

 

[Gramaisc]

If you don't want blue then vote red..

Red? More like bluey-purple...

 

[tek-monkey]

Regardless of colour chances are only 2 candidates stand a chance in any ward. A vote elsewhere is often pointless, but that's how we roll. I'd love to think one day it will change, but I doubt I'll see it.

Edit: of course labour now are tories past, and ukip are tories with enough backbone to still **** people off, and tories are a shadow of their former selves trying to suck up to everyone. Not sure I know the difference anymore.

 

[andy w]

I didn't realise it was a question! If you don't like who got in your only option was to tactically vote against them, if everyone did that we may have ended up with the other useless party instead. Since we have no form of PR we're stuck with either red or blue, very little chance of anything else. If you don't want blue then vote red, and vice versa. Statistically nobody's vote counts, it is such a small percentage, yet at the same time nobody can win without votes.

If you don't like who's in power vote against them, if your vote seems pointless then tough, the uk voted against any system where your opinion matters. I doubt it will change in your lifetime either, certainly not in mine. Thats democracy for you, enjoy.

I know what you are saying but I think things are changing. Party loyalty is disappearing and this election proves that people will vote for parties other than the established ones, with not just UKIP doing well but the Greens picking up seats as well.
The Tories and Labour believe that come the General Election the disaffected will return to them to stop the party the people dislike the most getting into power'
Well Sod them! Both the main parties have treated the electorate with contempt and neither deserve the support of the British people. Ok I think Milliband is a washout and hasn't got the ability to be Prime minister and that goes for virtually all of the Labour Party, but why should I support Cameron and his self serving cronies.

 

[tek-monkey]

So how will you vote? And do you expect your vote to count?

 

[ATJ]

Regardless of colour chances are only 2 candidates stand a chance in any ward. A vote elsewhere is often pointless, but that's how we roll. I'd love to think one day it will change, but I doubt I'll see it.

Well you definitely won't see a change if you keep up that way of thinking!

 

[tek-monkey]

Look at the stats, just like LS said what difference would her vote have made? I usually vote despite knowing my chosen candidate doesn't stand a chance, I am rarely surprised by the result. This is the second election I've missed, I've spoilt more ballots than I've avoided.

 

[ATJ]

Look at the stats, just like LS said what difference would her vote have made? I usually vote despite knowing my chosen candidate doesn't stand a chance, I am rarely surprised by the result. This is the second election I've missed, I've spoilt more ballots than I've avoided.

But most people have the same attitude as you and if all of those people could be convinced to either spoil their vote or vote for someone they actually want to instead of the lesser evil, then we would see the change we all want.

 

[tek-monkey]

There was nobody I wanted in this election, and a spoilt ballot is just a vote for the status quo. The fact remains most people vote to stop a party getting in, and the most effective way to do that is to vote for the most popular party that isn't them.

Don't get me wrong, I understand what you are saying, but you'd still need everyone to vote the same way. We all may not want blue or red, but what if I want yellow and you want green?

 

[henryscat]

It seems strange to me that someone who spoils ballot papers criticises a another's way of voting!!!

Local politics is different to national politics and often people vote more on local issues. Regardless of which colour party is in the council, it doesn't stop local people making a difference and campaigning on issues. Quite often politicians don't want bad publicity and will change their mind. Other times decisions can be turned against what a local councillor wants.

Local democracy isn't just about what happens on voting day.

 

[tek-monkey]

I'm not criticising, just pointing out the futility. I can't see a record of what our last guy achieved and nobody said they would try to do anything I cared about. Plus I really don't see what powers these local councillors hold? Most important decisions come from head office now.

Spoiling a ballot is just letting everyone else decide for you, you may as well not vote as spoilt ballots don't change anything. I will always vote for a party I believe in regardless of their chances, but I am not naive enough to believe all non voters share my beliefs.

 

[Hetairoi]

If you want an election where evryones vote will count then you only have to wait until next year with the EU Elections where a form of PR is used!

The ConLab parties are very worried that UKIP will sweep the board and from now on UKIP are clearly the enemy, should be interesting to see how the media and the politicians turn on UKIP.

 

[Mikinton]

UKIP are going through a honeymoon period which should last at least as long as the next election. After that, they'll have had time to get up peoples noses in the same way that the major parties have for years, and will find support a bit harder to come by.

 

[ATJ]

There was nobody I wanted in this election, and a spoilt ballot is just a vote for the status quo. The fact remains most people vote to stop a party getting in, and the most effective way to do that is to vote for the most popular party that isn't them.

Don't get me wrong, I understand what you are saying, but you'd still need everyone to vote the same way. We all may not want blue or red, but what if I want yellow and you want green?

Spoiled votes are counted, and enough spoiled votes would demand attention. You don't need everyone to vote the same way, you just need everyone to stop voting for the big two.

 

[andy w]

Spoiled votes are counted, and enough spoiled votes would demand attention. You don't need everyone to vote the same way, you just need everyone to stop voting for the big two.

I'm not too sure. Turnout for the police Commisoners was abysmal but that hasn't stopped the process from continuing

 

[Goldilox]

I'm not too sure. Turnout for the police Commisoners was abysmal but that hasn't stopped the process from continuing

Low turnout is really rather different from a high number of spoiled ballots. If you don't turn up and vote it will be interpreted by the powers that be as disinterest or apathy, whereas if you turn up and deliberately spoil your ballot you're demonstrating engagement with the political process but dissatisfaction with the options available to you...

 

[Withnail]

Low turnout is really rather different from a high number of spoiled ballots. If you don't turn up and vote it will be interpreted by the powers that be as disinterest or apathy, whereas if you turn up and deliberately spoil your ballot you're demonstrating engagement with the political process but dissatisfaction with the options available to you...

I couldn't agree more.

I have voted in every single ballot available to me since being eligible to do so.

The only ballot paper i have ever spoiled was the PCC one - why? i did so exactly for the reasons above. I wished to register my displeasure with the process itself and did so in the only way that was available to me. I wanted to show that i was willing and able to vote, but did not feel that i should have been made to do so.

Every other one has been different - there are things at stake.

It might be local things, like campaigns to close rail crossings (rail crossings that ordinary people might think are perfectly safe, but which a couple of quite obviously suicidal people taking advantage of to achieve their suicidal aims manage to turn into community endangering death-traps), or National ones to campaigns to close the NHS...

Either way, you really should get out and vote - whether you think your lot will win or not. One of the reasons i do so is one of those things that kind of stick with you, sort of thing, which was my brother saying to me that while people around the world are still willing to fight and die for the right to vote (*cough* Syria*cough*), it would be nothing short of offensive to treat that right that you have with anything less than a burning, yearning, sense of deserving.

Sure, you only have one vote, but the journey of a thousand miles and all that.

 

[tek-monkey]

Perhaps if there was some 'x% spoilt ballots = none in that election can run again' rule people would do it? AFAIK there is no actual procedure in place for high numbers of spoilt ballots, if there were it would be very easy to start a campaign much like the jedi /census one.

Mind you I often see Facebook posts saying share this and X will happen. If people are that gullible.....

 

[Hetairoi]

Looking at the results in my ward from four years ago the BNP took enough votes off Labour to allow the Conservatives to win but this time it was UKIP that took votes off the Conservatives allowing the Labour candidate to win!