Why should I bother voting?

[Kaliwax]

Our Conservative candidate gives her full address (street & door number). I too think it’s maybe not he best thing to do, but as she has been our MP for the last nine years and has lived at the same address for quite a few years I’m guessing she hasn’t had any issues.

The issue with people listing their home addresses, is that it could put the candidate and their families in danger, if something happens, or if someone disagrees with a policy that the candidate believes in then they could go to the candidates home and cause harm

 

[Trestrol]

Is it not suspicious though when you see "Address in the constituency" it tends to say they have been parachuted in and are living in a hotel or rented house.

 

[simonw]

Is it not suspicious though when you see "Address in the constituency" it tends to say they have been parachuted in and are living in a hotel or rented house.

Not really no. I know that doesn't apply to the only candidates with a chance of winning here both have lived here for several decades

 

[8A Rail]

So what do you do when your whole area was split into two and placed into two different constituencies because of recent electoral boundary changes and now the part of the area I live (Whiston, Merseyside) now comes under the constituency of Widnes & Halewood with the whole of Widnes is in Cheshire. All it has done, that I'm more than likely not to vote as I cannot vote for someone who is really not representing the whole of my area unfortunately, being split in two. Likewise I am unable to vote Labour (defintely not Conservative) as the candidate has already laid his cards on the table with his lack of tact regarding 'local' issues but sadly he will get elected anyway. May be my way of voting is either not too or spoil my voting paper (likewise I want proportional representation so my vote would count for something in a general election).

 

[Halwynd]

I can't, with any conviction, vote for any of the candidates in my constituency.

Politicians are supposed to be the 'best of the best' but these days they seem to be of a poorer calibre, to put it as politely as possible, than those they have followed. They only want to talk to their electorate every five years and really don't have a great deal of interest in constituency work. Caseworkers, SpAds and civil servants seem to run the country these days.

I'm talking generally - there will be honourable exceptions, but that's how I see politicians and politics today.

Not sure whether I'll vote, perhaps I'll go on Thursday evening and write a mildly rude comment on the ballot paper...

 

[Magdalia]

The issue with people listing their home addresses, is that it could put the candidate and their families in danger, if something happens, or if someone disagrees with a policy that the candidate believes in then they could go to the candidates home and cause harm

Is it not suspicious though when you see "Address in the constituency" it tends to say they have been parachuted in and are living in a hotel or rented house.

The requirement for the ballot paper to give each candidate's home address was removed in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009. The home address still has to be provided on the nomination form, but gives each candidate the option of only showing the constituency of residence, not the actual address, on the ballot paper.

If the candidate has "address in the constituency" on the ballot paper it means exactly that: their home address is in the constituency.

If the candidate's home address is in another constituency, then the ballot paper will show the name of that constituency.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

To those who don't feel sufficiently engaged with this election to feel like actually voting I say go ahead and spoil your ballot. It won't help select a MP nearer your preference but it does at least inform all the candidates that you don't think any of them are good enough. All spoiled ballots are counted with the total recorded in the official result and I think each one also has to be seen by all the candidates. As such the more the merrier!

 

[Welly]

My advice to those of you reluctant to vote is to see the election as like switching from Pampers to Huggies. It's well overdue!

 

[MotCO]

My advice to those of you reluctant to vote is to see the election as like switching from Pampers to Huggies. It's well overdue!

And the mess that's left behind

 

[D365]

Our tory candidate has given her own personal number in her leaflet, not sure that is a very wise idea at all! None of the other candidates have done that

How do you know that it’s a personal number rather than a ’work’ line or SIM?

 

[dangie]

How do you know that it’s a personal number rather than a ’work’ line or SIM?

Ours has given her full home address. Living in the same town as her I know it’s correct. My brother-in-law a builder (name’s not Bob) has done quite a bit of work at her house.

 

[AndrewE]

So what do you do when your whole area was split into two and placed into two different constituencies because of recent electoral boundary changes and now the part of the area I live (Whiston, Merseyside) now comes under the constituency of Widnes & Halewood with the whole of Widnes is in Cheshire. All it has done, that I'm more than likely not to vote as I cannot vote for someone who is really not representing the whole of my area unfortunately, being split in two. Likewise I am unable to vote Labour (defintely not Conservative) as the candidate has already laid his cards on the table with his lack of tact regarding 'local' issues but sadly he will get elected anyway. May be my way of voting is either not too or spoil my voting paper (likewise I want proportional representation so my vote would count for something in a general election).

add an extra box on the bottom of the ballot paper with "PR as promised in the past," and put a number 1 in it, with increasing numbers in the boxes of all the other candidates. (I was told that every candidate who has a mark in their box has to be shown each paper considered "Spoilt.")

I have done this in the past - but only when I was sure my spoilt vote could not change the outcome of the election!

 

[takno]

add an extra box on the bottom of the ballot paper with "PR as promised in the past," and put a number 1 in it, with increasing numbers in the boxes of all the other candidates. (I was told that every candidate who has a mark in their box has to be shown each paper considered "Spoilt.")

I have done this in the past - but only when I was sure my spoilt vote could not change the outcome of the election!

I suspect the candidate with 2 in their box may be given that vote.

 

[Ediswan]

(I was told that every candidate who has a mark in their box has to be shown each paper considered "Spoilt.")

The official guidance on doubtful ballots says:
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-06/UKPE doubtfuls booklet.pdf

1.6 When undertaking the adjudication of ballot papers it is important to ensure
that the process is carried out in full view of all candidates and agents present at the
count, as well as in the presence of any Commission representatives and accredited
observers in attendance.

 

[AndrewE]

I suspect the candidate with 2 in their box may be given that vote.

No, I think anything other than a single X in a single box is considered spoilt.
p.s. I am wrong (again!) @Ediswan's link says

Voting for more than one candidate
/snip/
2.10 Additional marks must not lead to a rejection if it is clear that those marks were not intended as a vote.
2.11 A paper on which each of the candidates are marked 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. instead of with a cross (see example 25-A) should not be rejected on the grounds of voting for more than one candidate. It is reasonable to conclude that in ranking the
candidates the voter is putting them into order of preference and a ballot paper marked in this way should therefore be accepted as a valid vote for the candidate against which the number 1 is marked.

and the examples shown from p11 are fun!