Will you be voting in the local UK elections and why?

Answer 1

i will be voting conservative,because i want to get rid of the communist party leader blair and his scummy rag tag bunch of baboons....

Answer 2

I believe that voting/enfranchisement is separate issue from democracy.

Democracy comes from the words "demos" (the people) and "cratos" (to rule) but marking a single X mark every four or five years is hardly the people ruling. If democracy is limited to such elections, then what we have instead is an elected autocracy whereby we elect a bunch of dictators to run/ruin our country in our name regardless of what we think.

I will be voting for the first time in 8 years because usually, I believed that my single vote was a whisper lost in the crowd so what did it matter if I voted or not? I voted in the 1999 Scottish elections, but sat out the 2001 Westminster, 2003 Scottish and 2005 Westminster elections. This time however, the incumbent Labour Party - who have not been in opposition in my constituency since the early 1970s (I wasn't born til 1981!) - face a serious threat from the SNP. I don't believe in independance, but I will be voting SNP as a protest vote against Labour, just like many people voted Labour in 1997 as a protest vote against the Conservatives for being in power for too long.

Democracy begins with the elections, but it is up to us to continue to use our voice, to tell our national and our local leaders what we want. They may not listen - look at the "Not in my name" rallies prior to the War in Iraq - but we have to keep trying.

Some say people died to give us the vote, but that was a long time ago. Its almost 70 years since WWII started. Its more than 90 years since the First World War started, but what relevance is that to me?

Maybe one of the good things about the War in Iraq is that it brings home to us some of the freedoms and rights that we take for granted. The right to live, the right to worship God in our own way, the right to work in a safe environment. And the right to tell our national leaders what we think of them.

So maybe it is relevant afterall. Maybe my whisper can be a shout if I put in the effort to make it heard. Maybe then I too can make a difference. And so could you.

Answer 3

Yes - I'll be voting both in the local elections, and more importantly in the Scottish Parliamentary elections. Voting is the only chance we get to have a say in government, local or national.

Voting is a hard won right and everybody should use it. Even if there is no party or candidate you wish to vote for, deliberately spoiling your ballot paper as a protest is better than not voting at all. Every ballot paper is counted, even the spoilt ones.

Answer 4

Yes, it's very important to use your vote. If fewer people had stayed at home at the last General Election this Government might not have got a third term in power. Local government affects more of us in some ways so you should certainly make it clear whether you support local policies or not. I am specifically thinking rubbish collections here!!

Answer 5

I always vote - not because I believe in democracy, and not because I think we live in a democracy, but because people who don't vote get the government they deserve (or the local council they deserve). However, I have, on occasions, spoilt my ballot paper - I consider this to be a valid option, since they have to count spoilt papers, and there is no other way of expressing dissent. I urge all those who don't plan to vote due to disaffection to do the same, then the Government would have to address the question of what is wrong in our political system.

Answer 6

YES because it is my right I have voted in every election since i was 18 and that included 2 postalvote cos i was away i feel if you dont vote then you should not have a voice in politics

Answer 7

If I were resident in the UK I would most definately be voting. I think voting should be considered a civic duty like Jury Duty and you should be required to vote by law, even if it were to spoil your ballot in protest. So many people ahve died throughout history to make sure we had the vote or to make sure nobody took that vote away from us. To not vote is simply slurring those peoples memories

Answer 8

Because democracy is a right that should not be taken lightly. If you do not vote you not only lose your right to complain but also you are eroding the rights of everyone else who does. Even if you scrawl across the ballot paper "NO ONE DESERVES MY VOTE" at least you have done the democratic thing. (I personally would like to see a part for people that want to abstain.) A none vote is telling the world that you can't be bothered with my right to select who speaks for me and they can do what they like.

I will be voting, Liberal Democrat.

Answer 9

Most definitely I'll be voting. this country fought long and hard for freedom of vote and so should not be laugh at or ignored. There are people in the world who would love to have the right to vote.

Answer 10

Yes definitely.! There is no point in complaining about what is wrong with the country, or "our lack of freedom of speech" if we are unwilling to exploit the many freedoms which we still possess. If we are in a position to do so, then we should always vote. If we don't, at the very least, do this, then we shouldn't bother ourselves, or others, to complain about matters!

Answer 11

Yes. If you don't vote then don't complain about the state of the country (and don't forget, people died to give women the vote).