you could tactically vote

I could, but it also wouldn't make a difference, so it'd be a waste of my time.

And I'll readily accept an "I told you so" if the Conservatives manage to steal Exeter by a single vote.

You lazy bastard, I live in bloody Cambodia and I still made the effort to register and then register again to proxy vote

Well the tories would like to encourage the greens as a way of splitting the left-wing vote. It is when the greens start to steal tory votes that they will get on board. I suggest the slogan," Conservation is the real conservatism

I am an ex Tory who turned Green. I was a Thatcherite in the 80's, but think that the whole ideology of the conservatives is now out dated and is starting to destroy our country. I would back Labour if they can get them out now, but nothing comes near the Greens when I look at my ideology.

Anyway you know when the Tories adopt Green policies, they aren't really, the're just pretending, conning, masquerading as folk who care about the environment and our future. They're so out of date they only want to nurture capitalism along with preserving middle class lifestyles, with all the inequalities this entails.

if Michael is in a safe seat of another party, his vote would be an irrelevance.

well if he's in Exeter then that's a marginal seat

You lazy bastard — JJJJS

Very.

I live in bloody Cambodia and I still made the effort to register and then register again to proxy vote — JJJJS

Ooh, where? I was in Siem Reap for 2 months a few years ago (with a few days each in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville). I loved it. Great country.

well if he's in Exeter then that's a marginal seat — JJJJS

Well, Labour have had it for 20 years, and they won by 13 points last election. Is that not a lot?

if Michael is in a safe seat of another party, his vote would be an irrelevance. — Punshhh

My vote would only be relevant if the Conservatives end up winning by 1 vote. ;)

My vote would only be relevant if the Conservatives end up winning by 1 vote. — Michael

Your vote would only be decisive if the Conservatives ended up winning by 1 vote. And even then it would be no more decisive than any of the thousands of other votes cast. Except that even then it wouldn't unless you actually voted on the off-chance. But I argued above that non-decisive votes are also influential, and that the influence is small is true of every vote cast, but not true of yours if you don't cast it. But your rationalisation of apathy and despair is tragically influential in demotivating others from doing their minuscule bit to make the world better by reusing and recycling and voting and contributing to charity and so on.

that the influence is small is true of every vote cast — unenlightened

Far too small (if indeed influential at all) to take time out of my day.

But your rationalisation of apathy and despair is tragically influential in demotivating others from doing their minuscule bit to make the world better by reusing and recycling and voting and contributing to charity and so on.

Alright, so I'll just lie about having voted and try to persuade others to vote. ;)

So, guys, I'm totally going to vote – for the Labour party as a tactical vote. Go ahead and do the same as well! Unless the Lib Dems have a shot, in which case vote for them!

are you registered to vote?

Yes, but only because there was a £1,000 fine if I didn't (although looks like the law has since changed to an £80 fine).

ok good work, now it's time to tactically vote

now it's time to tactically vote — JJJJS

Or just tacitly vote?

ok good work, now it's time to tactically vote — JJJJS

@Baden

Isn't this a clear case of political evangelism?

Isn't this a clear case of political evangelism? — Agustino

No, because evangelism is defined as "the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness".

Evangelists: Those who must convince everyone that their religion, ideology, political persuasion, or philosophical theory is the only one worth having. — Baden

@Baden needs to read a dictionary.

>:O

Actually, I stand corrected. The OED offers a secondary definition of "Zealous advocacy or support of a particular cause."

you could make yourself useful and do the same

So, guys, I'm totally going to vote – for the Labour party as a tactical vote. Go ahead and do the same as well! Unless the Lib Dems have a shot, in which case vote for them! — Michael

I'm convinced. :D

Actually, I stand corrected. The OED offers a secondary definition of "Zealous advocacy or support of a particular cause." — Michael

Duh.

If rational intelligent informed people convince themselves that voting is futile, then elections will be decided by the stupid, the ignorant and the irrational.

Perhaps it's already happened.

then elections will be decided by the stupid, the ignorant and the irrational. — unenlightened

Aren't elections already decided by the stupid, ignorant and irrational? That's the nature of a democracy to begin with. The majority rules, and the majority can only be average.

the majority can only be average. — Agustino

No, the whole point is that the majority will be average only if everyone votes, but if the best of us decide it is futile and don't vote, then it will be below average.

No, the whole point is that the majority will be average only if everyone votes, but if the best of us decide it is futile and don't vote, then it will be below average. — unenlightened

Ah, but I'm below average, so in deciding not to vote, I've made it better.

That's if we assume a normal distribution. I think the distribution is skewed.


Like this. So even if the smartest, most informed people in the nation go to vote, their vote doesn't matter. They don't have sufficient votes. In the end it's still the below average that decides.

Think about this community here. I think most people here are above average in terms of how informed and knowledgeable they are. But there's not that many equally informed or more informed than here. But there's A LOT more less informed. So if people here go and vote, will it really make a big difference? I don't think so.