They're not voting because...
- Because I cannot organise an absentee...
Because I cannot organise an absentee ballot in time. This annoysme immensely as I wanted to vote.
written 18th Apr 2005
Those who vote and spoil thier paper have wasted a chance to register an opinion. You will be turning out to vote and having a ballot paper in your hand so you may as well vote for the minority party whose policies you most agree with.
Some say that with proportional representation your vote would count, not much if you were the only voter for that party nationally. However it is possible to give the main parties a black eye, register, disapproval, and provoke debate about minority issues by voting for those parties that support your causes.
In these times of mass media coverage every single percentage point of votes is going to be analysed by TV , Radio and the parties themselves. If enough people, rather than spoil their paper which can be spun several ways, voted, lets say Green as they are probably the least contentious, then the mainstream would have to take note of the population's concerns even though the Greens did not get an MP. But who knows they might even get a lucky result in one constituency.
There will never be any candidates worth voting for in your constituency whilst people see a vote for a smaller party as a wasted vote.
Remember you are not voting for the winning party you are voting to make your views known.
