The Official UK Election Thread! 6th May it is!

[geni]

Ed Balls should be sacked for his recent statements on tactical voting.

Parties have been giving a nod and a wink to tactical voting for years. In practice all it is is asking voters to vote in a rational manner over the course of one election cycle.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Accusing Labour of the most negative campaign "in modern history", David Cameron said his "very simple message" was only his party could bring change.

How dare he?

 

[andyandy]

Ed Balls should be sacked for his recent statements on tactical voting.

Don't worry, he's probably going to lose his seat anyway.....

Couldn't happen to a less pleasant chap.

I've got my accreditation letters through as a polling agent and a counting agent, so I'll let you know how it goes afterwards.

Are we going to see a Zimbabwe style 100% SNP return from your station then?

 

[Rolfe]

Chance would be a fine thing!

I'm only in it for the fun, as this isn't close to being a target seat. In fact, we're downright squoze. Realistically, the only votes we'll get are the diehard supporters and people who haven't actually looked at the arithmetic of the constituency.

Rolfe.

 

[geni]

Are we going to see a Zimbabwe style 100% SNP return from your station then?

Rolfe doesn't live in the tower hamlets.

 

[Rolfe]

Thank God fasting.

Rolfe.

 

[dudalb]

How dare he?

The UK is just like the US; no matter how in favor of the status quo you are come election time shout a lot about Change.

 

[MarkCorrigan]

The UK is just like the US; no matter how in favor of the status quo you are come election time shout a lot about Change.

It's more his complaining about negative campaigning when his party runs crap like these:

He's scum.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Don't worry, he's probably going to lose his seat anyway.....

Couldn't happen to a less pleasant chap.

Nah, looks like he'll scrape in.

It seems some people in the Labour party have lost their mind by wanting this guy as next leader.

 

[Rolfe]

It's more his complaining about negative campaigning when his party runs crap like these:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...mageshack.us/img422/7133/taxbombshell28xk.jpg

http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/resources/images/1247766/?type=display

He's scum.

I was thinking about the demon eyes, actually.

Yuk.

Rolfe.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

It's more his complaining about negative campaigning when his party runs crap like these:

[qimg]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:8gijXFQmrbupyM:http://img422.imageshack.us/img422/7133/taxbombshell28xk.jpg[/qimg]

[qimg]http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/resources/images/1247766/?type=display[/qimg]

He's scum.

Yeah, let's hear that again:

Accusing Labour of the most negative campaign "in modern history", David Cameron said his "very simple message" was only his party could bring change.

Outside my work:

Outside a bingo hall (Nothing to scare the pensioners here!):

 

[Rolfe]

He did take the billions from the pensions though. I remember when he did it. My Tory colleague was damning and blasting him and saying Labour would never win an election again after that. I pointed out that most people wouldn't notice in time for it to make the slightest difference to the voting while any of the then cabinet were still politically active.

I remember the same colleague, even earlier, saying the Labour manifesto in 1992 had lost them the election, this was about five minutes after it was published. I think he was right about that. I remain to be convinced that enough people realised what Brown did to their pensions though.

Rolfe.

 

[Fiona]

Why would a tory think that reducing pensions would lose elections: who broke the link with earnings and what was the political cost?

 

[Rolfe]

Er, this particular Tory isn't known for seeing the beam in his own party's eye.

Rolfe.

 

[geni]

I remember the same colleague, even earlier, saying the Labour manifesto in 1992 had lost them the election, this was about five minutes after it was published. I think he was right about that. I remain to be convinced that enough people realised what Brown did to their pensions though.

Err because for the most part he didn't? Doesn't impact public sector workers or those with incomes below a certian level. So minimal impact on the core labour vote and doesn't impact those able to get in before the final salary pesion schemes closed.

So you are left with rather a small group many of whom will be earning too much to be likely to vote labour anyway.

 

[Worm]

I've never been a counting agent before, but I gather it's all about keeping an eye on the counting clerks to make sure they're putting the votes in the right bundles. And about second-guessing the result. I've always wanted to be in at a count, so this time I get to do it. The trouble is that my village is at the opposite side of the constituency from the count, and it's an hour and a half by road. Word is, we're staying at the polling stations until close of poll, which means not getting to the count much before midnight.

I don't suppose we have to follow the ballot boxes to the count, as they do in some of the big Labour strongholds. If there's going to be any funny stuff, it won't happen here.

Rolfe.

Hopefully this advice may be of some use.

As a counter of some experience, could I recommend that you smile and be polite to the counters - they are genuinely trying to do their job. By all means point out errors, but in a constructive way. I in no way think you would be critical, but in my experience, some agents can be very abrasive and actually distract staff from the task in hand. Also, don't be surprised if the counters don't talk to you, or even acknowledge you overtly. They are not being rude - they are following instructions. Guidance varies, and different returning officers handle it in different ways, but in general counters are instructed not to respond to anything other than simple informational questions - which polling station are you counting? - that sort of thing. If you have questions about process etc. - find the returning officer, a depute, or a communications officer (should they have one) - the count staff are there to do counting.

Counts tend to be on quite a tight schedule - there is a pre-booked slot they they are supposed to hit in terms of confirming the count, so the count staff are under a bit of pressure, particularly early in the process, to get things counted ASAP. You never know when you might have to recount or get a lot of papers going to adjudication, which can really slow things down later on.

 

[MarkCorrigan]

Er, this particular Tory isn't known for seeing the beam in his own party's eye.

Rolfe.

So that's....all Tories?

 

[Rat]

Yeah, let's hear that again:



Outside my work:

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/ldl21/_MediaCard_BlackBerry_pictures_IMG0.jpg

Actually, looking at your first picture, my car is really in need of a good clean. Not had it done properly since November. I promise, despite my feelings about Labour, that if Gordon Brown comes and cleans my car, inside and out, I will vote Labour on Thursday. Unless, of course, he leaves wax on the windows so that the wipers don't work properly. Then he can **** off.

 

[Big Les]

Parties have been giving a nod and a wink to tactical voting for years. In practice all it is is asking voters to vote in a rational manner over the course of one election cycle.

So en masse, voting to change the outcome of an election is rational. But individually, it's not. And yet, to get the mass effect, individuals are required to make their (irrational) vote.

My brain hurts.

 

[Rolfe]

Hopefully this advice may be of some use.

As a counter of some experience, could I recommend that you smile and be polite to the counters - they are genuinely trying to do their job. By all means point out errors, but in a constructive way. I in no way think you would be critical, but in my experience, some agents can be very abrasive and actually distract staff from the task in hand. Also, don't be surprised if the counters don't talk to you, or even acknowledge you overtly. They are not being rude - they are following instructions. Guidance varies, and different returning officers handle it in different ways, but in general counters are instructed not to respond to anything other than simple informational questions - which polling station are you counting? - that sort of thing. If you have questions about process etc. - find the returning officer, a depute, or a communications officer (should they have one) - the count staff are there to do counting.

Counts tend to be on quite a tight schedule - there is a pre-booked slot they they are supposed to hit in terms of confirming the count, so the count staff are under a bit of pressure, particularly early in the process, to get things counted ASAP. You never know when you might have to recount or get a lot of papers going to adjudication, which can really slow things down later on.

I shouldn't worry, I'm only there for the atmosphere. I tend to think smiling sweetly and saying nice things garners more support than being pushy.

One of my cousins, a bank teller, used to do the count regularly. These guys know what they're doing, and it's all pretty simple. I tend to think the party presence is more symbolic of our right to see what's going on than any real need to police anyone.

Rolfe.