Should I vote in the General Election? - Convince Me

[Eso Kral]

This past week saw the mark of 100 days till the general election which means voters have less than 100 days to decide who they would like to support to be their member of parliament and in our area even who they would like to be their local councillor.

I am sure that over the coming weeks I will have literature drop through my letterbox or knocks at the door from the various parties all making pledges on a variety of topics should they be elected and rightly or wrongly I have never voted in any kind of election.

I have always been one of those people that said "I don't do politics" as in my opinion only they are all as bad as each other and honestly in my working life (circa 24 years) have not seen any change despite who may have been in power during that time with me not feeling richer or poorer upon the colour of the party.

So my question's to Blonde are am I wrong for not having ever voted?

Why should I vote when I don't feel it makes a jot of difference?

Based on what my feelings/reasons are please feel free to try and convince me I should use my vote and poll one way or the other.....

[horseplayer]

You are not wrong as it's your choice

Personally I will be voting labour purely because it will help a close family member or will be more likely to than the past few years of utter hell under ids.

That is the only reason. Like you it will make no difference to my life either way.

[arbboy]

I imagine you live in an incredibly 'safe' tory seat in Essexshire so i doubt your vote will make any difference in the slightest.  I rarely vote myself even though i have strong political views because the vast majority of my life i have lived in safe 'tory' seats and me getting off my arse to vote would make no difference to the result in the slightest.  I know everyone can say 'if everyone did this' blah blah blah but at the end of the day individually your vote in most areas of the uk won't make much difference.  I backed my local tory mp at 1/33 in 2010 at Ladbrokes to win his seat.  Probably the best 3% return on money in the history of betting.  Every nit in the town should have unloaded their ISA's and done the same as they are all such risk averse middle England Daily Mail readers it was impossible for him not to get in.

[mikeymike]

Really doesn't matter who you vote for as all policy decisions are made by people who are not elected in the first place - all mp,s ministers, presidents,  have there special advisers and don't forget the unelected civil servants. These are the people that drive the policies, the people elected just pass them.

Remember at the end of the day those that have the billions rule, we the people just serve.

Until the revolution happens nothing will ever change

[Waz1892]

Have you no opinions on the NHS? Europe? The Pound? The finances of the country? Or your local park/library/school rtc being closed etc etc?


How would you feel if a law was passed stated we are no longer entitled to vote in elections and whoever was in control of your local area and government was in for good and are able to pass future laws without question.

Would you still feel the same as you do?
Would you still state "you don't do politics"

The comment "they're all the same" gives me the impression you have an opinion on polictics so you do care - just maybe not enough; so apathy will continue and thus nothing will change.

Not saying you do yourself, but "why bother it won't matter" baffles more. If everyone who thought that did actually bother, things would change in some manner.

Silly Examples;

My cheering my football doesnt make a difference really to the performance, so should i not bother?
My 40% tax is nothing vs the economy, so why bother paying it
My £3 donation to NSPCC isn't making squat difference in the gramd scheme, so why bother

[Whollyflush]

Have you no opinions on the NHS? Europe? The Pound? The finances of the country? Or your local park/library/school rtc being closed etc etc?


How would you feel if a law was passed stated we are no longer entitled to vote in elections and whoever was in control of your local area and government was in for good and are able to pass future laws without question.

Would you still feel the same as you do?
Would you still state "you don't do politics"

The comment "they're all the same" gives me the impression you have an opinion on polictics so you do care - just maybe not enough; so apathy will continue and thus nothing will change.

Not saying you do yourself, but "why bother it won't matter" baffles more. If everyone who thought that did actually bother, things would change in some manner.

Silly Examples;

My cheering my football doesnt make a difference really to the performance, so should i not bother?
My 40% tax is nothing vs the economy, so why bother paying it
My £3 donation to NSPCC isn't making squat difference in the gramd scheme, so why bother

the FPTP system makes it incredibly tough in certain strongholds, so the apathy can be understood. People are obviously interested in politics even if sub consciously, i'd imagine people posting here have a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. If we came into hardship directly i'd imagine we would all become a little more politically active. As sad and negligent as that sounds.

[arbboy]

Have you no opinions on the NHS? Europe? The Pound? The finances of the country? Or your local park/library/school rtc being closed etc etc?


How would you feel if a law was passed stated we are no longer entitled to vote in elections and whoever was in control of your local area and government was in for good and are able to pass future laws without question.

Would you still feel the same as you do?
Would you still state "you don't do politics"

The comment "they're all the same" gives me the impression you have an opinion on polictics so you do care - just maybe not enough; so apathy will continue and thus nothing will change.

Not saying you do yourself, but "why bother it won't matter" baffles more. If everyone who thought that did actually bother, things would change in some manner.

Silly Examples;

My cheering my football doesnt make a difference really to the performance, so should i not bother?
My 40% tax is nothing vs the economy, so why bother paying it
My £3 donation to NSPCC isn't making squat difference in the gramd scheme, so why bother

You get entertainment from supporting your local football team.  I don't get any entertainment from going out of my way to a polling station to tick a box which will make absolutely no difference to the returning MP where i live

You are legally obliged to pay 40% income tax.  We are not legally entitled to vote.

Your £3 donation makes a lot more difference to my vote where i live which literally makes no difference at all.

[Honeybadger]

My opinion is that if you do not want to vote then you should still turn up at the polling station and deliberately spoil your ballot paper.

[DungBeetle]

I agree with Arbboy - unless you are lucky enough to live in a marginal seat where your vote matters a great deal, then your vote counts for little.

My Tory MP won by a landslide even when Blair won in 1997!

Our system is rubbish and creates apathy.

[kinboshi]

I once voted in a constituency where the MP won with a majority of about 25 votes (was previously a 'safe' seat with a 5,000 vote margin).  I'm sure there were 25+ people in that constituency who couldn't be arsed to vote, but would have preferred the second-placed candidate to get in instead.

It's interesting though, as many seem to vote solely on how they will benefit as individuals from a particular MP getting voted in, or a particular party gaining power.  Others vote for the party they think will do the greater good for the majority, or for particular groups in society.  Others look at a combination of the two.

If you're in a seat that's a massively safe area, and there's nothing other than a massive majority of the votes going to one candidate, then yes, your vote is probably meaningless.  If you're in a more closely contested seat, you might even vote tactically for the 'least bad' option (if your favourite candidate/party has no chance of being elected there).

[AdamM]

If any of the parties represent your position on most things, vote for them. If they stand for something you fundamentally disagree with don't.

To abstain is a vital option as a voter, but I would like there to be a way to actively do that, rather than not showing up or spoiling papers.
"None of the above" as an option.

[AdamM]

and you need a "none of the above" in your poll too

[DungBeetle]

Yes - I'd like to see a none of the above option.  Would really hammer home people's displeasure if it was the 3rd largest votewinner

[Eso Kral]

Yes - I'd like to see a none of the above option.  Would really hammer home people's displeasure if it was the 3rd largest votewinner

and you need a "none of the above" in your poll too

Thanks for the responses so far, I have amended the poll and reset the votes so please feel free to vote again and I will respond further later on.

[AdamM]

try taking this

https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

and do all the extra questions and look at the more detailed answer options.