The serious poll

[wellinghall]

[Poll #1180995]

Comments

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

I always believe that for us lucky enough to live in a country that has democratic elections that we have a moral responsibility to vote (or spoil the ballot paper). Mind you I found the selection I had to choose from rather poor.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I agree.

Unless there are mitigating circumstances why it's better for my wellbeing to do something else all day. It's happened, but not often. No election here today though.

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Our local selection was one each from the big three parties. I wonder sometimes if I should get one of those Downing St petitions online going to have a "None of the Above" box included on any ballot.

[findabair.livejournal.com]

Local elections I presume, since I haven't heard of them? We did the political systems in both the UK and the US at school (several times), but I still can't keep either of them straight :)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed - local elections in about a third of the seats in England, plus all of the seats in Wales, plus the London mayor.

[purplecat]

You don't have a ticky box for "I meant to, but got the date wrong and by the time I realised I would be out of the country on polling day it was too late to get a proxy or postal vote"

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I never miss an election. I was probably the only seven-year-old who persuaded people to play candidates and canvassing with her, and I have always looked forward to elections...

[segh.livejournal.com]

My son Richard, who is 16, argues that he should have a vote on the grounds of "no taxation without representation". His father pointed out that he hasn't been a tax-payer since he was 12 (when EA paid him silly amounts of money to be the voice of Harry Potter) but he said that he is paying copious amunts of VAT. Anyway, he could be at work at that age.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I tend to agree with that. At 16, certainly. (I think below 16 it's special cases only; whether a 12 year old should pay tax whatever they earn is another thing I am not sure about yet). Although, as they are trying to make 18 the "normal" age to leave school or training, perhaps it will make a little more sense soon.

I do think that the age of majority should be standardised much more coherently, whether that is at 16 or 18. It's silly that you can legally do-what-it-takes-to-have-babies at 16, for example, and go to work, but not be allowed to by the knife to chop up the baby's carrots or tools for said job. And so on with lots of other silly age anomalies.

[bouncy-elf.livejournal.com]

I voted by postal vote, being so far from home and not being able to actually pronounce the Welsh parties! ;)
Going to a girl's school, it was 'We've fought for this, so you'd better do it!' So I do, and I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

[romancinger.livejournal.com]

I agree that one should vote, and I usually do. But this time I have too much going on with my life to bother with the local elections.

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

... or if there was, nobody told me.

[miss-t-ide.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I left for work before the polls opened and I stayed in London as we were going to a gig. Otherwise I would have voted.

[emperor]

I failed to realise I'd be away on polling day until too late to get a postal vote.