NINE YEARS!

[klondike]

Not even any election here sfaik.

[Jacqueline]

Granny Mac, that lot are not worth voting for, the only thing you can do is to go and write something on your ballot paper, rude or otherwise, which I have done many times before.  The candidates, agents and returning officer have to look at these to void them, so even if a wasted vote at least they can see what you think of them.

[Alex]

Surely nobody of 'importance' would see your spoiled paper, only the volunteer doing the counting  ?

[Diasi]

Surely nobody of 'importance' would see your spoiled paper, only the volunteer doing the counting  ?

I've been an election officer back in the day & the spoiled papers are seen by everyone to ensure that ballot papers aren't being chucked in the spoiled pile when they not spoiled.

They have more scrutiny than all the the non-spoiled ballot papers.

[Alex]

I've been an election officer back in the day & the spoiled papers are seen by everyone to ensure that ballot papers aren't being chucked in the spoiled pile when they not spoiled.

They have more scrutiny than all the the non-spoiled ballot papers.

  That's reassuring, who double checks postal voting out of interest ?

[Diasi]

  That's reassuring, who double checks postal voting out of interest ?

The postal votes are scrutinised, but not counted, in a 10 day run up to polling day.

They are counted on polling day along with the other ballot papers.

We haven't got a reform candidate so I may vote for one of the independent candidates.

[JBR]

Granny Mac, that lot are not worth voting for, the only thing you can do is to go and write something on your ballot paper, rude or otherwise, which I have done many times before.  The candidates, agents and returning officer have to look at these to void them, so even if a wasted vote at least they can see what you think of them.

I don't know yet whether Reform are standing for my local authority.
If they do, I shall vote for them.
If they don't, I shall write their name on the ballot paper and send it in.  At least, my 'vote' would have been noticed and even unofficially counted!

When the general election arrives, I shall follow exactly the same procedure.

[GrannyMac]

That's an idea. Though TBH, not sure I can be bothered.  😒

[klondike]

Which is why we get the same old shower with the occasional rosette colour change in charge year after year. All the public services are broken. All the political parties are identical with the same old failed policies on offer and the public are entirely apathetic. I really CBA to do anything myself about it of course 

[GrannyMac]

I can't remember not voting! Women fought so hard to get a vote, but that was when it might have mattered.  There are few at national level who interest me, no one is coming up with real solutions to the shortage of affordable housing or to the uninvited immigrants arriving by dinghy.  All I seem to hear (not that I watch politics much now) is points scoring.  

[klondike]

Interest rate rises will soon be putting a lot of repossessions on the market which will bring with it a drop in prices. If I were a BTL landlord using mortgages I'd be baling out about now ahead of the impending doom coming there. Lower prices won't help though as I imagine we'll be seeing increased interest rates for some time to come. Probably nowhere near as high as I expect most here had to endure but the loans were a lot smaller back then too of course.

[JBR]

I don't know yet whether Reform are standing for my local authority.
If they do, I shall vote for them.
If they don't, I shall write their name on the ballot paper and send it in.  At least, my 'vote' would have been noticed and even unofficially counted!

When the general election arrives, I shall follow exactly the same procedure.

My local election papers arrived yesterday and, seriously, that is exactly what I did and posted it off.