General election today!

I voted, I don't think my vote will make a difference but I did it all the same.

I didn't because I'm forbidden to vote in your countries elections.

I've heard a little bit about the three parties involved but, I know nothing of their platforms and what they are pushing for.

I don't even know what this is about. Care to clarify, OP?

I assume it's about the British Elections. Only major election that I'm aware of. Caught a bit of their last debate a while back. Oh and the controversy over Gordon Brown's comment towards an old "labor party" supporter. Called her a "bigoted woman" or something.

I doubt OP is online looking art the time of the post but I think they are talking about the General Elections that we had in the UK today.

Its supposed to be a very close race this time between Labour (the current party in power) and Conservatives. The underdogs are the liberal democrats and unnervingly enough there are a big enough magority for the BNP (british nazi sorry nation Party) to get influential seats. So far nothing had been confirmed but you can check who had what seat at this site http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/region/48.stm

Posted a tactical vote for Labour, and saw a local 12.4% swing to the Conservatives. FML.

Anyway, it's been pretty much what I'd surmised: hung Parliament, probably a Tory minority government with Ulster Unionist coalition, and the debate hype around the Liberal Democrats went all Ross Perot on us, to give you something to relate to. ^_^ Will be interesting to see how things develop over the next week or so, anyway; it's ultimately more Tory power than I could ever want, but at least they're still waaaay more liberal than the US Republicans.

I thought the picture said, "Vote for Anon"...

I'm not allowed to vote since I don't live in the UK, but remember OP, if you didn't vote and try to make your voice heard, you're not allowed to whine about how it ends later.

Anyhow, I can't say that I'm really knowledgeable about UK politics, so I'll just keep my mouth shut and go figure about who I'm gonna vote for over here.

Well, they at least tried to make a difference by putting someone they believed would do the right thing, people wouldn't vote for someone they don't want to lead the country. Of course you have the same right to vote, not more, not less. You just choose not to use that right.

But since you just keep your mouth shut and didn't vote at all, meaning that you apparently don't care enough about it to try to change thing, I believe you're in no position to complain about the outcome. You had/have the right to vote, and through that vote the power to try and make a difference. It's people who have voted for someone who when in power don't do what they've promised that have he most right to complain about it.

In b4 hung parliament, old gummint is the new gummint (as per the Constitution, Brown gets to try for forming a cabinet first - heard Mandelson's little lecture on that?) and another election in fall.

Not that I care. Noo laburr and Tories are about equally deserving of a ride in the gas chamber, and the Lib Dems are almost amusing in their hopelessness.

Isn't it like that anywhere an election comes up? I know it is over here.


>Implying voting actually makes a difference
>Implying voting is the only legitimate way of "influencing politics"

Yes, I'm implying that voting makes a difference, I don't know what assumed fake-democracy/dictatorship you believe you live under(Germany right? I think I saw that somewhere but I can be mistaken) but over here votes are actually counted.

And no, voting is not the only legitimate way of making a difference, but it sure is the easiest if you don't really get yourself into politics and get a position where you are able to hold some power. But since our OP didn't even vote I highly doubt that he holds a strong enough political position to be able to have an impact on who people are going to vote for.

So yeah, for your average citizen voting is the only way to be able to change things.

Do the words 'simple plurality' and 'proportional representation' mean anything to you? How about 'coalitions'? I don't think voting is worthless, but at least one of your votes in Germany (under AMS) counts for a whole lot more than in Westminster elections.

I agree that voting is the principle means of affecting government; for instance, trade unions have been sidelined, pressure groups are by-and-large fobbed off, and unlike in Germany, the official petitions website counts for nothing bar minimal exposure. We desperately need PR, mind you. If the Lib Dems can't secure it this term, the buzz that has surrounded this election shan't be replicated again, and the apathy will reinstate itself.

if its america were talking about here I agree with the sign, our countrys going down, were nearley past the point of no-return and noone seems to be doing anything to stop it. scratch that. nobody seems to be doing anything to effectively stop it

I believe this is the election from a certain asian country.

I really have no positive comments about the whole matter. I guess something of a neutral nature would be, atleast nothing worse will happen because its just gonna be the usual.

to those who say that your votes matter in that place, you should be more familiar with how politics work there, because it really doesnt. its not a secret. unless some miracle happened and this one will be unique

I think nothing will ever change there unless the people themselves change. no vote or president can