The Shetlink Entry Poll

[khitajrah]

what hacks me off most is all the bloody leaflets coming through the door, whats wrong with the candidates actualy getting off their backsides and knocking on a few doors, lets speak to them in person and hear their views on various issues. lets see the whites of their eyes see if they are lying or not

 

Tavish Scott showed up at my house not that long ago. It had been raining for a few days so there was laundry hanging everywhere inside drying and baby had just spewed orange lunch down her front as he knocked on the door. He didn't stay long, didn't mention politics and he left a leaflet as he hurried out. Dead friendly though. I admit it was the only leaftlet I've read, all those that have come through the post have been chucked into the bin. Do I want 6? half a dozen? Two lots of 3?

 

ergh, i've just been sicked on again.

[Styles]

What we need is a coup and a dictator put in place, save us all the hassel of this voteing nonsense.

[Fjool]

BigMouth, tuck yourself in, mate - your ignorance is showing.

 

You're saying that you don't know where your polling station is, that you don't know much about your candidates, that you haven't bothered to understand our voting system, that you don't read the 'propaganda', that your vote doesn't matter, that staying home is a more effective statement than a spoiled ballot... And yet, somehow, despite paying no attention at all, you know that none of these people are suitable for the job. How so?

 

Problem with our current system is that 50%-60% of people think just like this. Which is why we keep ending up with a bunch of self-interested idiots running the country. Just imagine if that 50% turned out and voted in the smaller, independent guys who actually wanted to make a difference rather than toe the party line.

 

Yes, perhaps Tavish gets in because people vote for who their dad voted for but that's only because folks like you sit at home whining about this rather than going down and making an effort to change it. Besides, if you'd been paying attention, you'd know that there are several positions to vote for, including your prospective councillor. If I'm not mistaken, you have the opportunity to support Shetlink's own BigDanDancingMan.

 

If you feel so strongly that none of the candidates represent you, then the only other reasonable behaviour is to stand yourself. And I don't see you doing that either.

 

Stop making excuses and get yourself down to vote.

[madcow]

^^ Well said. What drives me insane is the amount of people who don't bother voting and then complain about the council and/or government - in my opinion, if you didn't bother to vote to elect them then you don't have a say in what they do. So go and vote (even if it is to spoil your paper) and stop moaning about it!

[JustMe]

What we need is a coup and a dictator put in place, save us all the hassel of this voteing nonsense.

 

Great in theory but sadly even dictators soon set up some sort of assembly to rubber stamp their decisions and they hold elections for those assembly members and we are back to politics. Even if there is only one candidate per seat.

[BigMouth]

BigMouth, tuck yourself in, mate - your ignorance is showing.

 

Thank you - takes a bow

 

You're saying that you don't know where your polling station is, that you don't know much about your candidates, that you haven't bothered to understand our voting system, that you don't read the 'propaganda', that your vote doesn't matter, that staying home is a more effective statement than a spoiled ballot... And yet, somehow, despite paying no attention at all, you know that none of these people are suitable for the job. How so?

 

I have been not voting (except once) for 28 years and have seen 28 years of politicians mostly feathering their own nests. So I base my choices on experience. Yes I was absolutely unaware of the new voting system. This was due to being turned off by the whole political process for 28 years, not watching TV and not reading newspapers. I make no excuse for any of these choices.

 

Problem with our current system is that 50%-60% of people think just like this. Which is why we keep ending up with a bunch of self-interested idiots running the country. Just imagine if that 50% turned out and voted in the smaller, independent guys who actually wanted to make a difference rather than toe the party line.

 

I am with the 50-60% and there must be a very good reason why so many feel so disengaged from the process. So the smaller guys aren't interested in being like the bigger guys?

 

Yes, perhaps Tavish gets in because people vote for who their dad voted for but that's only because folks like you sit at home whining about this rather than going down and making an effort to change it. Besides, if you'd been paying attention, you'd know that there are several positions to vote for, including your prospective councillor. If I'm not mistaken, you have the opportunity to support Shetlink's own BigDanDancingMan.

 

I am not whining about it. I am making the choice not to vote because none of them are worthy of my vote. One vote makes no difference in reality as I have already said. I couldn't care less who my councillor is either. I will leave it to the experts to make the choice for me. People who watch TV, read newspapers and know about politics. I am not one of them.

 

If you feel so strongly that none of the candidates represent you, then the only other reasonable behaviour is to stand yourself. And I don't see you doing that either.

 

You are absolutely right. Although I have to admit that I did consider it as it would pay a higher salary than I am getting at the moment.

 

Stop making excuses and get yourself down to vote.

 

Hell will freeze over first !!

[vailron]

so one vote does not make a difference, well we all have one vote, and if we all thought that one vote makes no difference then nobody would vote, now that may make a difference

[SJD]

Up date on the Green Party!

According to a letter in todays Shetland-News website the Green Party

SUPPORTS THE VIKING ENERGY WINDFARM PROPOSALS FOR SHETLAND.

They do not address any of the environmental and ecological issues simply abuse opponents of the development. Right! that does it.

None of the Partys oppose the VE Windfarm development. One (the Conservatives) want a referendum. Well I've got news for them, the vote is on the 3rd May next. Have they not heard!

Quite clearly the only way forward is to vote -

NONE OF THE ABOVE

Get of your backsides, get out and vote, vote clearly at the bottom of the paper in block letters

NONE OF THE ABOVE

They don't deserve our vote. They have done nothing to date to earn the vote of Shetlanders on the Windfarm development. None of them will be personally affected by the vote spending most of their time away from Shetland and they won't have to pick up the pieces of a scandalously defective SIC.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

NONE OF THE ABOVE NONE OF THE ABOVE NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Perhaps the admin of this prestige website will open a new forum to encourage people to vote NONE OF THE ABOVE

We can produce a percentage busting spoilt paper vote NONE OF THE ABOVE. Tell your friends. Go for it.

[crofter]

Hhrrmm so if I did decide to go and vote and I inserted a little "none of the above" box and ticked it, they won't come knocking on my door to make me fill it out correctly?

 

They might. I've often wondered what the unique reference number on every voting paper is for. Is it not supposed to be a secret ballot?

[JustMe]

Just a passing thought but Shetlink may well have enough members to put up their own candidates at the next SIC election with a fair chance of them being elected. Not that I am seriously proposing that Shetlink becomes a political party but at least for council elections it really is worth voting as the gap between winners and losers may not be that great.

[Fjool]

There's nothing secret about it really. Your vote can almost certainly be traced back to you if someone with the appropriate bits of paper wants to.

[Evil Inky]

There's nothing secret about it really. Your vote can almost certainly be traced back to you if someone with the appropriate bits of paper wants to.

I don't think there's anything terribly sinister about the reference numbers: I believe they provide a measure of protection against corrupt election officials stuffing ballot boxes with dozens of false voting papers.

[Fjool]

Only if someone checks and, if someone is checking, your votes aren't secret.

 

I don't mind particularly; not sinister, as you say. But it's also not actually secret, which was the original point.

[islandhopper]

Sorry for a question:

You really have the registration number on the voting/ballot paper???

 

We just have it on an "outer envelope" which keeps an "inner envelope" which keeps the voting paper ... and when it comes to the counting then the outer envelopes will be opened, seperated, counted and then sealed away before the first inner envelope will be opened ... and all that is done by different volunteers in the voting/counting stations ...

[Fjool]

You really have the registration number on the voting/ballot paper???

 

Yes. Each ballot paper has a unique number which is written down against your voter number before you are given the ballot. This forms an easily traceable path from ballot paper to voter. It's not quite so easy to trace the other way (voter->ballot) however, but still possible.