Voting

Morag

So ladies, have you voted? are you going to vote? are you able to but not arsed?

Just back from casting my ballot and was wondering how many of us are making the effort.

Edit: er I tried to put a poll with this but it didn't work, would the mods mind adding it please, with the options, have, will be, not arsed and can't not eligible. Thks.

Ickle Magoo

Will be

I voted at 7:10 this am...was a bit of a palaver since they failed to send us polling cards despite having the correct address but we got there in the end.

mariebeth

Will be

I voted this morning, have always voted since I turned 18, it's a privilege that women have only had for a relatively short time, and there are still people around the world, men & women alike who don't have that privilege, so I'm not going to waste mine.

carolinespring

Will vote on my way home from work. Don't think I have ever not voted.:)

starlit

I voted this afternoon...

Eve_Dublin

Will be

Just flew home from Spain this afternoon especially to vote (I wouldn't miss a chance to get those b-tards out of power) and I'm waiting for my sister to finish work so we can head down together. If this video doesn't get you off your backside and down to the voting stations to vote, then I don't know what would...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYTa81JdDfo&feature=player_embedded

Scarinae

Super jealous of all you people who are able to vote! Stupid Ireland and it's stupid not allowing people abroad to vote :mad: Maybe I should have gone home and pretended that I was still resident in Ireland, but it would be electoral fraud. My Portuguese flatmate, in contrast, is able to vote via her embassy here.

I voted in the Lisbon Treaty first thing in the morning the day that I moved to London, I was there with my Dad when the polling station opened and then we drove to the ferry. This is the first time since I turned 18 that I haven't voted I will be keeping a close eye on the results though.

Morgase

Will be

mariebeth wrote: »

I voted this morning, have always voted since I turned 18, it's a privilege that women have only had for a relatively short time, and there are still people around the world, men & women alike who don't have that privilege, so I'm not going to waste mine.

Couldn't agree more. I really don't understand those who just don't bother. The usual retort that there's nobody worth voting for doesn't wash; if that's the case then one should spoil their vote because then you're at least turning out and making your views known.

rainbow kirby

Not arsed

Will be voting on the way home from work this evening. Was 8 days too young to vote in 2002, but have voted at every election of any sort that I've been eligible to vote at.

Acoshla

Will be

Haven't voted much over the last few years because I was abroad for a few of them or moving madly around the place and wasn't home to vote, but I voted today.

I know nothing about politics, nothing, well I know slightly more now than I used to but still not a lot, so I got my mom to sit down and explain it all to me last night She mainly said "Ok, do you want the guys that are there now to be back?", I said "Hell no" and we took it from there

I'm glad I voted because I can't stand when people who don't vote then give out about the government/country when they could have made a difference if they had bothered to vote.

WesternNight

Will be

Yep, voted this afternoon.

Asphyxia

Will be

Yes :cool:

Contessa Raven

People who can but don't vote have no right to complain about the state of the government or the country.

One of my friends and I were discussing the election last weekend and she said she wasn't gonna bother voting. I asked her why and she shrugged her shoulders. She then said she hated the current government!

I don't understand people who say things like that and then don't bother their arses to use the right that people died for to give it to them! GRRRRR! :mad:

brainyneuron

Will be

In case anyone's still undecided

http://www.votomatic.ie/Home.aspx

1. Votomatic will ask you a few questions about your opinions.
2. You will answer them on a scale between agree and disagree.
3. At the end, Votomatic will compare your answers with the policies of the five largest parties contesting the election, and will tell which ones agree with you most.

Panthro

After trying out that link.
Apparently I'm a SF and Labour, and then GP kind of guy, with little or no time for FF or FG.
Still think Ming should rule over a Totalitarian state.

aviendha

Will be

Voted this evening, so frustrating listening to people saying "ah can't be bothered" but then will be the first to give out about government decisions

WesternNight

Will be

aviendha wrote: »

Voted this evening, so frustrating listening to people saying "ah can't be bothered" but then will be the first to give out about government decisions

I don't know what's worse. Not bothering to vote at all, or voting without bothering to find anything out about who they're voting for.

viota

Will be

Of course i voted.I think everyone should vote and i am very proud to have a vote.I looked up my no 1 politcal party's policies before i voted for them.

Konata

Will be

Fishie wrote: »

Super jealous of all you people who are able to vote! Stupid Ireland and it's stupid not allowing people abroad to vote :mad: Maybe I should have gone home and pretended that I was still resident in Ireland, but it would be electoral fraud. My Portuguese flatmate, in contrast, is able to vote via her embassy here.

I agree that it's a bit crap alright but hopefully it'll be changed soon. In FG's manifesto, they propose to allow voting in Irish embassies across the world, starting first with Presidential elections and referendums and, if that's a success, then onto general elections.

I voted earlier and have done since I was 18. I love being able to have a say and know that I have an input in choosing how our country is run

iguana

Will be

papagormo wrote: »

Still think Ming should rule over a Totalitarian state.

Which Ming? The one from Roscommon, Mongo or the Lib Dem from Scotland?

Eta: Thought Flanagan was from Galway as that's where he first ran.

Ickle Magoo

Will be

iguana wrote: »

.... or the Lib Dem from Scotland?

As cool as Ming the lib dem merciless would be - it's a much more boring, and freakishly quaint scottish-ism of Menzies which is pronounced ming or mingus...just on the very remote chance anyone is remotely interested.

Panthro

iguana wrote: »

Which Ming? The one from Roscommon, Mongo or the Lib Dem from Scotland?

Eta: Thought Flanagan was from Galway as that's where he first ran.

The Roscommon Ming:)

dark crystal

Will be

Yep, I have been looking forward to this GE for years.....no way I would waste this oppurtunity to have my say.

amacachi

mariebeth wrote: »

I voted this morning, have always voted since I turned 18, it's a privilege that women have only had for a relatively short time, and there are still people around the world, men & women alike who don't have that privilege, so I'm not going to waste mine.

I thought Ireland was pretty quick to give women the vote.

Contessa Raven wrote: »

People who can but don't vote have no right to complain about the state of the government or the country.

Rubbish. People like to "make a point" by spoiling their vote, it is in effect exactly the same as not voting.

watna

Also in the "grr, no postal votes camp" and I'm pretty pissed off about it. Would have loved to have voted. OH got to vote in the last NZ election when we were living in Dublin through the embassy in London.

amacachi

I'm glad there's little/no postal votes. Voting should be for residents, not citizens/passport holders. IMO.

Lu Tze

amacachi wrote: »

I'm glad there's little/no postal votes. Voting should be for residents, not citizens/passport holders. IMO.

Presumably then anybody resident in the Ireland should be allowed vote, regardless of nationality?

watna

amacachi wrote: »

I'm glad there's little/no postal votes. Voting should be for residents, not citizens/passport holders. IMO.

but there's no postal votes even for someone that is out of the country for 2 weeks with work or something. Surely there should be some system where if you have been resident there in the last few years you can vote. I certainly don't agree that any citizens get to vote but there should be some other medium. Most other countries offer postal votes. Just because you are aware from Ireland for a little while doesn't mean your opinion doesn't count or you don't get a say in how the country is run. What about all the people who have left because they couldn't get work in Ireland? Should they not get a say in how it is run so they can hope to come home one day?

I posted this in AH. In NZ you get a postal vote if you are a NZ citizen who has been in NZ for the last three years, or a permanent resident who has been in NZ over the last 12 months. Why can't Ireland come to a similar arrangement? Also, how do you define a "resident"? It's far too simplistic a view.

Scarinae

amacachi wrote: »

I'm glad there's little/no postal votes. Voting should be for residents, not citizens/passport holders. IMO.

I moved over to London to do my masters, with full intention of moving back to Ireland afterwards. However I realised towards the end of my studying that there was no point in moving back when I might not even be able to get a job in a shop. I don't consider London my home, just somewhere I am living temporarily. I really would have liked to have been able to vote, as the outcome of this election will affect me even though I am not in Ireland right now.

dfx-

Contessa Raven wrote: »

People who can but don't vote have no right to complain about the state of the government or the country.

It's the usual line, but not really. There's no way of determining whether their individual vote would've made the difference, the likelihood is that it wouldn't.

Hersheys

Will be

dfx- wrote: »

It's the usual line, but not really. There's no way of determining whether their individual vote would've made the difference, the likelihood is that it wouldn't.

No, there is no way to determine if that one vote would make a difference, but for those who couldn't be arsed to make an effort to vote I don't think they should have a right to complain about how the country is run

WesternNight

Will be

Hersheys wrote: »

No, there is no way to determine if that one vote would make a difference, but for those who couldn't be arsed to make an effort to vote I don't think they should have a right to complain about how the country is run

In one way I agree, but then again, if I vote for a party based on policy and ideology and they either change their stance or fail to do their job properly...am I then not allowed to complain because I'd voted for them?

I think everyone has the right to an opinion about how their country is run regardless of whether or not they voted, but I still don't think very highly of people who just can't be arsed to educate themselves even a little bit on the politics of their country to be able to have an informed say.

dfx-

WesternNight wrote: »

In one way I agree, but then again, if I vote for a party based on policy and ideology and they either change their stance or fail to do their job properly...am I then not allowed to complain because I'd voted for them?

Especially with the prevalence of coalitions in Irish governments..

Hersheys

Will be

WesternNight wrote: »

In one way I agree, but then again, if I vote for a party based on policy and ideology and they either change their stance or fail to do their job properly...am I then not allowed to complain because I'd voted for them?

I think everyone has the right to an opinion about how their country is run regardless of whether or not they voted, but I still don't think very highly of people who just can't be arsed to educate themselves even a little bit on the politics of their country to be able to have an informed say.

But you voted, you can have a say.

Its the ones who couldn't be bothered to vote that I've a problem with.

WesternNight

Will be

Hersheys wrote: »

But you voted, you can have a say.

Its the ones who couldn't be bothered to vote that I've a problem with.

Yeah, I understand, but if they'd have voted for parties other than the governing parties then it pretty much amounts to the same thing in the end.

I don't think the simple act of voting earns anyone any more respect than people who don't vote. Any idiot can go in and put numbers in a box, it doesn't mean they've made any more effort than that. Informed voting, however..

Stheno

I didn't change address in time, and had a four hour round trip to vote but did so

I consider it a true duty of anyone in a democracy to exercise the right to vote it was hard fought for.

rainbowtrout

Will be

iguana wrote: »

Which Ming? The one from Roscommon, Mongo or the Lib Dem from Scotland?

Eta: Thought Flanagan was from Galway as that's where he first ran.

He's from Castlerea.

Ya, I voted, have voted in every election since I was 18. I don't think I have the right to whinge about the government if I didn't vote. At least by voting I'm having my say, even if the person I voted for doesn't get in.

Twee.

Will be

I voted and have done every available time since I was 18. I think it's especially important at this time as we are seeing the turmoil in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain. People are fighting and dying for their right to decide who they want to govern their country. All we had to do was turn up on the correct day.

Chinafoot

Not arsed

We need the Australian system.

$50 fine if you don't vote and theres no excuse as you can vote by post

solerina

I was disgusted when the date of the election was announced as I had a weeks holiday in the States booked snce last September....I always vote and was not happy that I couldnt this time

confusticated

Living abroad for a year so couldn't...I really think the postal vote needs to be brought in for things like this. Have voted every other time I've been eligible to do so.