9. Voting

Someone called Bobby Jennings has produced this rather nifty list of Top Ten Lame Excuses Not to Vote

10. My dog ate my registration card.
9. Reruns of the Simpsons are on TV.
8. Martin Sheen of "West Wing" is not running. (Well, maybe that should be a good reason...)
7. I forgot to register to vote.
6. I have a right not to vote. You can't make me.
5. I don't know who is running.
4. I don't have a ride.
3. I am too busy.
2. All politicians are corrupt.
1. My vote won't make a difference.
(They may not even count it.)

He then continues with:

Top Ten Reasons To Vote

10. You might meet the man/woman of your dreams in the line to vote.
9. Use it as a reason to leave work early.
8. Voting costs money and you are paying for it. If you don't vote your oney will be wasted.
7. Avoid feeling guilty if the "other guy" wins.
6. Be a contrary. Many special interest groups would prefer you did not vote. Upset their plans.
5. Many people have spent a lot of money to buy your vote. Disappoint them by voting your conscience.
4. Make a homage to our ancestors. Many have died and suffered to gain the right to vote.
3. If enough people vote the "right choice" will be made.
2. Civil participation "breaks the back" of violent confrontation, disruptive behavior, and corruption.
1. You will feel personally empowered.

We'd like to contribute a few more reasons to vote, although the one about meeting the man/woman of our dreams seems a good enough one for those of us currently 'between relationships'.

Bright reasons to vote:

  • It makes the results of the election more interesting, more personal. We've got more personal connection with and investment in it
  • It makes actions of elected politicians (and sometimes those who failed to get elected) more interesting
  • Suffragettes were continuously imprisoned and viciously force fed, in response to their campaign to have the right to vote. Emmeline Pankhurst said: You have to make more noise than anybody else, you have to make yourself more obtrusive than anybody else, you have to fill all the papers more than anybody else, in fact you have to be there all the time and see that they do not snow you under, if you are really going to get your reform realized. And all we have to do is wander down to the local school hall and bung a mark on a piece of paper
  • Visualise the lines of South Africans queuing in the sun for hours and hours to vote in the first election after apartheid
  • Teeny numbers of votes can make big difference, especially in local elections. For example:
    • Winchester 1997 - The declared result had Mark Oaten (Lib Dem) winning by 2 votes over the Conservative candidate, Gerry Malone. The result was successfully challenged by an election petition and a by-election resulted in Mark Oaten being returned with a majority of over 21,000.
    • Peterborough 1966 - Sir Harmar Nicholls (Con) beat Michael Ward (Lab) by 3 votes.
    • Carmarthen Feb 1974 - Gwynoro Jones (Lab) beat Gwynfor Evans (PC) also by 3 votes.
  • It's an opportunity for an election party - go and vote with a group of neighbours and/or meet up after for takeaway and results watching. (These might turn out to be Vote and Gloat parties, or Ballot and Blubber parties, depending on the results.)
  • Being better informed and interested makes it more likely you'll interest and motivate others