Do you regard election material as 'Junk Mail'?

Killer Pigeon

k p k p

Aodan83

Any more than one piece of mail from each candidate/party and I would consider it junk mail.
As long as it's informative and not just a flyer saying "Vote for me" with a picture and a name, I'm not too bothered.

Dermighty

I think that election material (posters, fliers etc) are important. I do think that there is a general sense of forgetfulness when it comes to the post elections collections and responsibility regarding cleaning up the posters and fliers.

I do think that candidates fire their information in every letterbox (not a euphemism ) and stick posters up all over the place and then just let the f*cking things fall off onto the road and let the fliers get recycled or just go into the bin.

If 10 politicians send me fliers, not one gives a **** where they end up.

Brenireland

Election Material is not junk mail,although it does depend on which party you may support.

When I receive Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Labour/Green party/Independent I throw it into the nearest fire.

However each party has policies they would like to highlight and ensure voters know what they are voting for,and what kind of **** they are going to do to our sexy country.

So it is important we know what we are voting for.

Cheers,
Big Ears.

ejmaztec

Waffling political sh1te = worse than junk-mail.

coffee_cake

If it's "vote for me" and a picture, yes.

If it's info about their policies etc, no.

macman2010

Anything to do with with Fianna Fail is junk mail in my opinion.

Badgermonkey

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

I'm canvassing this year for a certain political party and I post election material regardless of whether there is a "No Junk Mail" sign because I don't view election material as junk mail.

Why are you coy about which party you are canvassing for?

CrazyRabbit

If I didn't specifically ask for it to be sent to me, then it's spam. That includes bills & those bank/credit card statements the bank insists on sending me.

Sanjuro

If my snail mail box had a spam filter, that crap would go straight into it. If I want to find out about people running in my constituency, I'll look into it myself.

enda1

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Why are you coy about which party you are canvassing for?

Because its not relevant to the question? He doesn't want the results influenced by political position.

Minstrel27

It goes straight in the bin.

Badgermonkey

enda1 wrote: »

Because its not relevant to the question? He doesn't want the results influenced by political position.

You're right.

Just being nosey.

Killer Pigeon

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

I've been arguing with some members on the GE'11 forum about whether or not election material is in fact 'Junk Mail' (thread located here). I'm canvassing this year for a certain political party and I post election material regardless of whether there is a "No Junk Mail" sign because I don't view election material as junk mail. I'm sure there are recidents out there who have 'No Junk Mail' and don't necessarily view election material as 'junk mail' either. If there is a "No election material" sign then of course I would respect the recidents' wishes.

I've decided to put the issue to bed once and for all so I've created the poll above so that people can give their views. If the amount of people who view election material as junk mail is far greater than the "I don't know" option or the "NO" option combined then I will stop posting election material where there is a "No Junk Mail" sign. I hope this sounds fair.

Regards,

KP.

Junk mail is unsolicited mail. Unless it is addressed to the resident it is junk mail. I think it's very wasteful, especially as I do my political research online where there is invariably more detailed information about the candidates.

The least you could do is knock and ask if the person wants it or not.

mikedragon32

If it's not addressed to anyone who lives in my house by name, it's junk mail. Any canvasser ignoring the sign on my door is likely to be followed back down the driveway and have their junk mail returned and it won't be pretty.

If you really want to know about the policies of the various political parties and candidates, browse away from Boards.ie for a few minutes and check out their websites, don't wait for it to be dropped on your doormat.

giant_midget

mikedragon32 wrote: »

If it's not addressed to anyone who lives in my house by name, it's junk mail. Any canvasser ignoring the sign on my door is likely to be followed back down the driveway and have their junk mail returned and it won't be pretty.

If you really want to know about the policies of the various political parties and candidates, browse away from Boards.ie for a few minutes and check out their websites, don't wait for it to be dropped on your doormat.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there, I have a little label on my letter box "NO JUNKMAIL"

If it's not from the postman we dont want it, bloody chuggers and jobsworths putting garbage through our letterbox on a daily basis...it has stopped since iv put the label on...

Duggy747

They make for great fuel in the fireplace.

mudokon

To me election material is junk mail and I think your logic of it isn't junk mail to you is flawed.

If you had a no junk mail sign on your door & the fast food places adopted that logic then they would still post the fliers through your door on the basis that they don't deem it to be junk mail.

Brenireland

I always sit behind the letter box waiting for the junk mail

xsiborg

unless i ask for the information, it's the same as spam in my inbox, i cant set up filters for every single item in my inbox either. if i subscribe to receive information such as a monthly newsletter from my local politician on their performance in the dail this month, or new legistation in the works, that would be far more useful than a fawning face on a piece of paper.

i see enough with the leery posters and not once in the last 14 years did any politician come to my door and ask how are they doing and is there anything they could do better.

i've seen politicians bleat on about the environment and reducing waste, yet they shove paper in my letterbox and waste money on election posters and travel round the country in election buses, the list goes on. hypocrites.

it may not be what YOU consider junk mail, and that's fair enough, but that is YOUR opinion, and i see no reason to cover my door with "no this, no that, no the other", or using your exammple from the other thread, a person working for a charity might consider that THEIR cause, which is important to THEM, is just as important to me, i just dont know it yet. the point is that i really dont care how important THEY think THEIR cause is, if I think its important, it wont take me much effort to research it.

the old adage that "advice is an insult unless asked for", holds true in this case. your counter argument may consist of "it doesnt take that much to throw it in the bin if you dont want it", in which case i would counter with- it may not take much of an effort to discard it, but its hassle i can do without.

next time you are at a persons door, before you drop in a leaflet, think to yourself- "if i keep this leaflet, im reducing waste in the environment".

"in-your-face" advertising never endeared anybody to a cause.

ejmaztec

Badgermonkey wrote: »

Why are you coy about which party you are canvassing for?

Perhaps he can't spell Feener Foyle.

Azureus

I consider it Junk mail.

My mam rang me bout this the other day actually, she was fuming because canvassers put a load of stuff through the door ignoring her no junk mail sign. She opened the door and questioned them bout it and one lady got really indignant and rude and said my mam must be ignorant if she considered it junk mail! So she now has a whopper sign saying
'All election material = Junk mail (WE'RE PAYING FOR IT ANYWAY!)'

Works

TequilaMockingBird

Instead of all this junk mail/posters/gangs of middle-aged men in long black coats roaming the streets I would welcome a copy of their manifestos posted through my door.

That's all.

The rest is rubbish.

strobe

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Generally, I knock on the door and if nobody answers it I put in a leaflet that says "Sorry I missed you" and also contains the names of the candidate(s) in the local area, there policies and what they have done already for the local area.

Yes, that is junk mail man. Please stop doing it. It's only one step above throwing your rubbish in the middle of the street.

My 'no junk mail' sign now has a 'This includes political propaganda' white card under it and they are still cramming them in through my front door. Up to now I have been fairly civilised because I figured most of the people delivering them were just doing it for a few quid, like delivering take away menu's. I was unaware it is canvasers doing this. So fair warning, if you push one of these through my letter box and I catch you I will be screaming the fukking head off you and stuffing a big fistful of rubbish from my kitchen bin into your pocket.

_feedback_

I wouldn't consider it junk mail, if it contains policies. As essentially it is in my best interests to read it.

DavyD_83

It's unsolicited mail, I didn't in any way, shape or fiorm ask for it. Therefore YES, to me it's junk mail.
I consider any fliers indescriminately shoved into letter boxes as junk mail.

If it's addressed and posted to me then it's a maybe

strobe

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Well I think the poll more or less speaks for itself. I still don't consider it 'Junk Mail' but if the above poll relfects the opinions of most residents (which it possible does), i.e., that 80-90% of people view election material as 'junk mail' then I'll respect that opinion.

As of the next time I canvass I will not post election material where there is a "No Junk Mail" sign.

Thank you. Could you also inform your fellow canvassers of this thread please.

DavyD_83

elviscostello wrote: »

I wouldn't consider it junk mail, if it contains policies. As essentially it is in my best interests to read it.

(Insert random flier senders) would claim it's in your best interest to receive their fliers too, they contain prices and phone numbers :rolleyes:. I disagree. If i wanted it I'd go get it or ask for it.

It's the same thing, except politicians aren't after our money directly.

strobe

DavyD_83 wrote: »

It's the same thing, except politicians aren't after our money directly.

They want us to secure a job for them which pays, out of our pockets, well over double the average wage in the country. They are very very directly after our money as far as I can see.

Days

I think that result is pretty conclusive!!

_feedback_

DavyD_83 wrote: »

(Insert random flier senders) would claim it's in your best interest to receive their fliers too, they contain prices and phone numbers :rolleyes:. I disagree. If i wanted it I'd go get it or ask for it.

It's the same thing, except politicians aren't after our money directly.

Nah, I don't think you are comparing like with like. These people are trying to "sell" you policies that will benefit you in some way. IMO, everyone should vote, and this is one way of taking in some of the information. There are plenty of other outlets to get it from too, but this can't be any harm.

It's very different to other fliers.