Have You Voted?!

[Guest]

I have cast my first vote at 7.30 this morning its was exciting and i feel a bit tense, we will wake up tomorrow and it will have all changed x

[beth1]

And ok the polls are closed!

 

 

Beth

[sunnyday]

And to think that 'we' advise the rest of the world on how to run their Electoral processes!

[vickymck]

time for a bit of reflection and evaluation I think

[HappyMaz]

And to think that 'we' advise the rest of the world on how to run their Electoral processes!

I have to say the process of counting the votes is very very slick! And the lengths some people will go to in order to spoil their ballot papers is astounding!

 

Maz

[sunnyday]

I have to say the process of counting the votes is very very slick! And the lengths some people will go to in order to spoil their ballot papers is astounding!

 

Maz

 

I heard it was especially 'slick' in Windsor.........that was being reported all over BBC, ITV, Sky News!

[HappyMaz]

I heard it was especially 'slick' in Windsor.........that was being reported all over BBC, ITV, Sky News!

Naturally!

 

It was a fascinating process although some of the agents supporting the candidates were v. v. irritating. One (see if you can guess the party) asked me about what my day job was. He asked where my setting is and when I told him said "oh you must have lovely children then". I'd like to say I smiled serenely however I have to say that I looked him in the eye and said "and of course that is not a stereotypical view at all is it?". To be fair he looked suitably sheepish when he realised what I was getting at. And then moved on to bother someone else!

 

Maz

[Rea]

For all their pomp some people just dont get it do they

[Guest]

I have to say I changed my mind which had been made up weeks ago when I was stood in the booth I'm not voting for a candidate who lives in London when we live in Bradford??????? Whats he going to know about our local area and multicultural makeup!

 

My dad has always been heavily involved with a party and this is the first year he has not counted the vote as they were asked to commit to counting the general election with an expected finish of 4am and go back at 10am for the local council count. He always does the door pole and takes the 7-9am shift and at 79 it was to much for him.

 

Because I know about the door count (the people who are sat in foyers etc before you get to the voting officer and ask for the number on your card) I ALWAYS refuse and this year one of the party workers on the door got very shirty

[mundia]

Funny how many of you have talked about taking your kids for their first vote.. noone ever took me. In fact my first vote I was out of the country so I gave my dad my proxy vote and did he ever ask what I what him to vote on my behalf..did he 'eck.

 

I have to admit to being one of the 28% who didn't get there this time...

[sunnyday]

Because I know about the door count (the people who are sat in foyers etc before you get to the voting officer and ask for the number on your card) I ALWAYS refuse and this year one of the party workers on the door got very shirty

 

I have been involved in this (not this time) it is quite usual for the 'voters' to get 'shirty' - as a party worker I certainly respected any reluctance! "Of course, that's fine, have a good day" sort of thing!

[HappyMaz]

Because I know about the door count (the people who are sat in foyers etc before you get to the voting officer and ask for the number on your card) I ALWAYS refuse and this year one of the party workers on the door got very shirty

I always assumed that giving your number to the people sitting at the door was part of the process. Until I was a poll clark for the last European Elections and my friend the Presiding Officer explained it all to me.

 

This year I went to take some emergency rations to my friend during the day and as I approached the door the party workers said brightly "can we have your numbers please?" which I ignored and walked past whilst two other voter stopped and showed their polling cards. The conservative lady was horrified - as I walked into the hall I heard her say "she just walked straight past!".

 

Ah well - you can't please all the people can you?

 

Maz

[JacquieL]

I've never come cross a 'door count'. Is it to find out who's voting which way like an exit poll?

Hereabouts we just walk in and there's no-one around other than those on the desk. Actually this year there were only two people on the desk and one booth, whereas in the past there have been several and more than one desk, and we went to the desk which had our street names listed.

[HappyMaz]

I've never come cross a 'door count'. Is it to find out who's voting which way like an exit poll?

They don't actually ask you how you've voted like an exit poll does - I think it is all about working out who has voted so that parties can make sure they get their vote out. So if Mrs Smith at number 72 has promised to vote for Labour and their door staff tell them that so far Mrs Smith hasn't voted, then they can knock her door and offer her a lift to the polling station.

 

Or am I being cynical?

 

Maz

[Cait]

We only ever have the two folk on the desk, never have a door count thingy. A double booth with pencils on a string and that's it

[Guest]

I never ignore the people sat there I just say 'I'd rather not thank you' but this time the man didn't accept that. He blocked my way and asked why!! Well he did ask so I told him!! This was on the doorstep when I went in there was another counter from a different party and I gave the same response and got back 'that's quite alright' with a smile (unless of course she'd heard my response to the one on the doorstep )

 

Parties use these lists of numbers to

give a percentage attending the vote (which they could do with a simple tally)

chase up promises made on doorsteps (lifts for the elderly could be prearranged or a phone number on leaflets for anyone who would like assistance)

keep a tally on houses/individuals who have voted. They sometimes phone missing households to remind them if its looking bad for them, send cars with loudspeakers on down low attending streets etc

 

It also provides information for future voting about who to leaflet and where to knock on doors. Its the identifiying with this unique number that I object too. Its supposed to be a private vote and that includes whether or not I've been as well as who I voted for as far as I'm concerned.

 

Between my dad's involvement with a political party, my mums insistance that woman died so we (as women) could vote and not to use the hard won right to vote would be disrespectful I've been taken to 'voting' since a small child. My OH had never used his vote when we married and he took some trainning!! The first time as we walked away he asked me 'So which one did you tick then?' For 22 years he now asks before we go in is it a tick or a cross?