In other comments, Robinson, justified the shooting of student protesters at Kent State opposing the Vietnam War - commonly known as the Kent State massacre -and said he wanted to see the response emulated today. https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1654203651655606275
Oh, that was after this. In posts on Facebook/Twitter, Mark Robinson, the GOP frontrunner for NC governor repeatedly mocked the survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting in vicious terms calling them "spoiled little bastards" and "prostitots." https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1654203323455533057
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
As an aside, the current voter ID laws can't prevent all personation.
The electoral roll does not contain dates of birth (except for those below 18). That means that if the name on the ID matches the name on the electoral roll, then one can vote.
In certain communities, there are surprisingly few unique First Name - Last Name combinations. How many Muhammed Khan's will there be in the UK? And if you go to - say - Tower Hamlets, you might find tens (or even hundreds) of them.
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
Don't we have a spare that we could give them? He even wrote a book advertising his role as I recall.
Sky News leading on the fact that Charles hasn't yet apologised for the slave trade.
By 55% to 22%, our voters don’t wish him to.
And, that’s why various Caribbean kleptocracies will become Republics. Charles can’t both serve the British people and Caribbean kleptocrats simultaneously.
But, that's just part of the hustle. If you read into the detail of the polling, not all the Carribean think the same - especially not Belize - and Jamaica has a very strong monarchist minority.
Also, plenty of others - like Nigeria - have fond memories of British rule too and to some extent regret severing ties on top. Tuvula is more strongly monarchist than even the UK
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
Don't we have a spare that we could give them? He even wrote a book advertising his role as I recall.
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
Don't we have a spare that we could give them? He even wrote a book advertising his role as I recall.
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
There won't for starters because the Canadian PM Trudeau and Conservative leader of the Opposition Poilievre back keeping the monarchy, only the minor NDP and BQ want a republic
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I'm hearing from credible sources the next UK net migration figures will be much higher than the (record) 504,000 for 2022 --potentially as high as 700,000-800,000. If true, this will not only continue to make a mockery of "Take Back Control" but reveal the extent to which both Left and Right remain firmly committed --amid a national housing and NHS crisis-- to a political economy that is now completely dependent on cheap labour via mass immigration."
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
There won't for starters because the Canadian PM Trudeau and Conservative leader of the Opposition Poilievre back keeping the monarchy, only the minor NDP and BQ want a republic
Of the other Commonwealth Realms polled, only the Bahamas and Solomon Islands have majority support for a Republic
@lewis_goodall 6m Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
@lewis_goodall 6m Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
No need to take the polling card, even before the ID fiasco.
Personally I never let the tellers know my name or see my card. It is none of their business.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
The Polling Cards specifically stated that it was not a requirement for the voter to bring it with them - just suitable photo ID. Also, to add to the merriment of the occasion, the Polling number was printed in a ridiculously small font and hidden in the middle of the card, rather than in large print in one of the corners!
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Seems a bit of a leap from 'tellers have some weird views' to 'I don't think I like many of the people living in this country'. Tellers aren't really very representative of normal people. And most people do have weird views, but are still quite nice. (I guve you the pleasant and witty Sandy Rentool whose solution to the worlds problems is that humanity be wiped out.) And I don't think the British are unusual in that.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
@lewis_goodall 6m Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
So, in fluent Mandarin that means “well you got what you wanted didn’t you, you ##### ###### - I hope you’re proud of yourselves”.
I did an hour's telling mid-afternoon in Elmbridge - Dominic Raab territory. The ward was two Tories, one LibDem.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
The live stream has been temporarily paused but the presenter says it will come back - the intention is to present ward by ward results including changes in the share of the vote from 2019. I don't anticipate you will get that sort of detail on BBC or Sky but I could be wrong.
I don't know if it will restart on the same Youtube link I provided or a new one - you should be able to find this on Britain Elects twitter.
I have no association with Britain Elects - I am simply posting this for general site interest!
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Way that poll checking is (or at least was) typically done in USA, is NOT by asking voters coming to vote anything.
Instead, election workers periodically post list of voters who have already voted. Or otherwise make the list available to party/candidate poll checkers.
Of course, with vote-by-mail (which includes virtually all ballots in WA State, and growing number in other places). Election authorities make available (generally on-line) lists of voter who have voted, then parties/candidate scratch them off their lists for Get Out The Vote (GOTV) mail (when there's still time) and canvassing (doorbelling, phoning, txts, emails).
MUCH better than asking people directly for their personal info, even if it's just polling card number.
Personally would tell anyone who inquired - except for polling - as politely as possible, sorry, that's for me to know and you to wonder about.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Had there been a teller up early enough, I would have been happy to supply them with polling card number. Maybe it was just one of those days ?
A Labour guy actually knocked on my door this evening to ask if I’d voted. First time I can recall that happening.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Seems a bit of a leap from 'tellers have some weird views' to 'I don't think I like many of the people living in this country'. Tellers aren't really very representative of normal people. And most people do have weird views, but are still quite nice. (I guve you the pleasant and witty Sandy Rentool whose solution to the worlds problems is that humanity be wiped out.) And I don't think the British are unusual in that.
You're probably right, Cookie, you're probably right, but at the moment I don't think I can agree with you. Maybe I will feel a bit more generous after a good night's sleep.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
First of all, thank you for giving your time to help with the democratic process. I know it can be really tough and unpleasant at times, but it's an absolutely vital role that doesn't receive the respect it should.
I agree that it's getting worse, both due to active hostility/resentment from voters, and the pool of activists shrinking, giving a relatively louder voice to cranks and eccentrics. I honestly don't know if it's fixable at this point - sane young people have almostly completely tapped out from what I can see, so the current electoral system is dependent on a small group of more senior activists who can't keep knocking on doors forever.
I just had a look at it! The stream ended at 22:30 so he can have a bite to eat and will restart at an unspecified time (hopefully soon). On a brief inspection I recommend it and will go back to it at about midnight
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Oh god, we let these folk organise political parties, never mind vote…
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
No need to take the polling card, even before the ID fiasco.
Personally I never let the tellers know my name or see my card. It is none of their business.
Today I explained with a smile that by giving me their number I was saving them being called on later that evening to vote. Their names would be ticked off the list. No-one refused, many smiled back. I was the only teller. I might have got a few extra votes.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Seems a bit of a leap from 'tellers have some weird views' to 'I don't think I like many of the people living in this country'. Tellers aren't really very representative of normal people. And most people do have weird views, but are still quite nice. (I guve you the pleasant and witty Sandy Rentool whose solution to the worlds problems is that humanity be wiped out.) And I don't think the British are unusual in that.
You're probably right, Cookie, you're probably right, but at the moment I don't think I can agree with you. Maybe I will feel a bit more generous after a good night's sleep.
Well well done for participating, anyway. You've done a good thing, even if it's hard undee the circumstances to muster any feel-good as a result of it.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
No need to take the polling card, even before the ID fiasco.
Personally I never let the tellers know my name or see my card. It is none of their business.
Today I explained with a smile that by giving me their number I was saving them being called on later that evening to vote. Their names would be ticked off the list. No-one refused, many smiled back. I was the only teller. I might have got a few extra votes.
Exactly, if you don't give your number of canvassed as a party supporter that party will knock you up even if you have already voted
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Oh god, we let these folk organise political parties, never mind vote…
Instead of photo ID, how about IQ tests?
Now you're talking! An IQ test followed by a written exam, two character references and a blood test for gross paralysis of the insane.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I know, and believe me I sympathise, but it's the only one we got. Unlike SOME PEOPLE who swan about the world farting in bars, we aren't going anywhere so it's us who have to fix it. Shit doesn't clean itself up.
So. Have a sit down, remind yourself you're a decent person who did good today, and relax for a bit. Cake is nice I find.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Seems a bit of a leap from 'tellers have some weird views' to 'I don't think I like many of the people living in this country'. Tellers aren't really very representative of normal people. And most people do have weird views, but are still quite nice. (I guve you the pleasant and witty Sandy Rentool whose solution to the worlds problems is that humanity be wiped out.) And I don't think the British are unusual in that.
You are correct re: political activists such as UK poll tellers. Some of the election observers yours truly has run into - left, right and even center - would have curled my hair IF they hadn't already made me pull it out.
Including some of the BEST observers, Democrats as well as Republicans.
There's no need to despair of the country just because one teller is a fan of John Redwood's blogsite. I think that's probably rather a niche preference.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
Giving tellers a polling card number isn’t really telling them anything other than that you have voted. Which as you say is publicly available information in the US anyway.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Oh god, we let these folk organise political parties, never mind vote…
Instead of photo ID, how about IQ tests?
Now you're talking! An IQ test followed by a written exam, two character references and a blood test for gross paralysis of the insane.
Or….. we just let me decide. I’m a good sort, honest. I drink real ale, I’m a County Cricket member, I double space after full stops, and I know my wines; BUT I want to nationalise utilities. I’m the perfect Lord Protector. Something for everyone.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I thought you had to take both with you. Thanks for the report.
No need to take the polling card, even before the ID fiasco.
Personally I never let the tellers know my name or see my card. It is none of their business.
Today I explained with a smile that by giving me their number I was saving them being called on later that evening to vote. Their names would be ticked off the list. No-one refused, many smiled back. I was the only teller. I might have got a few extra votes.
That's certainly a smart approach. Exactly what I say to folks who complain about getting calls from candidates or parties; sooner you send in your ballot, sooner the calls will cease. (After several days lag, to allow post office to deliver your ballot, and election workers to process it and record that you returned it.)
Of course with vote-by-mail, you don't need to ask voters, just get the list of returned ballots.
I did an hour's telling mid-afternoon in Elmbridge - Dominic Raab territory. The ward was two Tories, one LibDem.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
That man does not live in a democracy and is entitled to respond accordingly.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
Giving tellers a polling card number isn’t really telling them anything other than that you have voted. Which as you say is publicly available information in the US anyway.
I can see that. Can also see that many voters may still object to being interrogated.
So nothing wrong with the classic teller system, really, but . . .
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Sounds like a rough day.
I suspect the country and the people living in it are better than you fear, but I do think you may be right about the traditional polling day get out the vote campaign being broken. Perhaps its because parties have fewer people to call upon to do it, but that means the people who do will tend to be weirder (not you obviously), people encountering tellers will be rarer (I've only see it once, and that did not really count as it was the candidates themselves at a local by election) and so they probably react with more bemusement to the process.
There's no need to despair of the country just because one teller is a fan of John Redwood's blogsite. I think that's probably rather a niche preference.
John Redwood posts well about economic matters. His only consistent fault as a blogger is he doesn't 'conclude' any of his articles, they just seem to stop in the middle as if he's walked off half way through writing them.
I voted at 8.30pm - got stopped by a person at the entrance asking "Are you intending to vote?" - to which I said "And who are you?" - He said "A Poll Clerk" I said "Proof of identify?" He said "None - do you want to see the Presiding Officer?" No thank you - what do you want?" He said in fact there were two polling stations and upon telling what street I lived on he sent us both to the correct one. Polling I was told was brisk - over 30% - nobody turned away - only used my Bus Pass. Previously if asked by a Teller for my electoral register number I always gave one that didn't exist.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
You should spends more time here. We're a friendly bunch, and some of us are even vaguely sane.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I know, and believe me I sympathise, but it's the only one we got. Unlike SOME PEOPLE who swan about the world farting in bars, we aren't going anywhere so it's us who have to fix it. Shit doesn't clean itself up.
So. Have a sit down, remind yourself you're a decent person who did good today, and relax for a bit. Cake is nice I find.
Who would you go to a bar and fart, when you could have a nice strawberry citrus mojito? Or a turmeric-flavoured Old Fashioned?
I did an hour's telling mid-afternoon in Elmbridge - Dominic Raab territory. The ward was two Tories, one LibDem.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
Turning away 8% is significant, especially as it does NOT include people who didn't bother to turn out because they knew - or thought - they didn't have acceptable ID.
I did an hour's telling mid-afternoon in Elmbridge - Dominic Raab territory. The ward was two Tories, one LibDem.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
It makes my blood boil to hear of people denied the vote like that.
The Times: "Almost half of countries where Charles is King support becoming a republic", including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
With the coronation, he's banging nails into his own coffin. It's excruciating as well as hilarious. Nobody told him to have a coronation. He doesn't have to have one if he doesn't want one. He could easily go about in a business suit or scruff it up like Bill Gates. But no, he demands full-scale anointment with oil from Jerusalem. He demands a seat in front of the Cosmati pavement getting an archbishop put a diamond-studded hat on his head. He thinks people care what he thinks about religion too. Every religion. Because they all want a king. Right. Right? The guy is f***ing gaga.
I'll give it a year, tops.
I bet the insiders are already discussing how to save the monarchy from him.
As far as Australia is concerned it appears this is old news as Sky are pushing a poll this evening that shows that support for a Republic has dropped and there is now 60% support for contiuing with the Monarchy
There is a Wokery infection afflicting Canada at the moment and depressing support for the monarchy.
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
There won't for starters because the Canadian PM Trudeau and Conservative leader of the Opposition Poilievre back keeping the monarchy, only the minor NDP and BQ want a republic
Of the other Commonwealth Realms polled, only the Bahamas and Solomon Islands have majority support for a Republic
It's all in how you phrase the question, but the following seems clear (from p.62 of the Ashcroft poll):
"If there were a referendum tomorrow, how would you vote?"
Options: "For my country to remain a constitutional monarchy with King Charles as head of state", "For my country to become a republic", and DK/WV.
Republic > keep the monarchy in Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Bahamas, Solomon Is, Northern Ireland, and Antigua and Barbuda.
So he's 5-2 down in the 7 sovereign countries other than Britain that have populations > 400,000, the monarchist two being NZ and Papua New Guinea.
Lose Canada, Australia, and Jamaica, and the republicans in the other 11 will have a lot of traction for saying that keeping the British king as head of state makes sovereignty a sham.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
I know, and believe me I sympathise, but it's the only one we got. Unlike SOME PEOPLE who swan about the world farting in bars, we aren't going anywhere so it's us who have to fix it. Shit doesn't clean itself up.
So. Have a sit down, remind yourself you're a decent person who did good today, and relax for a bit. Cake is nice I find.
Who would you go to a bar and fart, when you could have a nice strawberry citrus mojito? Or a turmeric-flavoured Old Fashioned?
What idiot would mess with an Old Fashioned or a Mojito? Name and shame them.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
The only polling I saw that was actually how will you vote in these locals had Labour on a gaspingly low 33%, and greens way up in double figures. This is exactly the result you would expect to see if it’s very low turnout everywhere, Labour have failed to get their vote out, Starmer has failed to inspire the polling numbers to actually vote.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
The only polling I saw that was actually how will you vote in these locals had Labour on a gaspingly low 33%, and greens way up in double figures. This is exactly the result you would expect to see if it’s very low turnout everywhere, Labour have failed to get their vote out, Starmer has failed to inspire the polling numbers to actually vote.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Perhaps. But personally willing to await the actual results, including turnouts. But am NOT betting on outcomes.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
We're a friendly bunch, and some of us are even vaguely sane.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
The only polling I saw that was actually how will you vote in these locals had Labour on a gaspingly low 33%, and greens way up in double figures. This is exactly the result you would expect to see if it’s very low turnout everywhere, Labour have failed to get their vote out, Starmer has failed to inspire the polling numbers to actually vote.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Perhaps. But personally willing to await the actual results, including turnouts. But am NOT betting on outcomes.
Okay. Before we know the actual results tea time Friday GMT, can we not agree up front the strongest way to measure them? Before the spinners try to tell us how to measure this election
If Labour are not 10% ahead or getting anywhere around 40 percent of the vote, that would be the big take out from these elections, and quite fairly making all the headlines, we can at least agree in that much up front as fair measure, before the spin people pile in?
@lewis_goodall 6m Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
Hopefully "groups in society" that don't vote Conservative.
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
Do you still announce the results with those little ceremonies? An election officer comes out on a little stage, the candidates line up with their identifying rosettes, as if they were school students wondering who will get the reward, the results are read, and the winner congratulated.
I loved those ceremonies because of the cool confidence in your institutions they show -- so I hope you are still doing them. (Coaches in the US sometimes tell their players that they should not make a big fuss after they score, saying something like this: "Act like you've done it before, and expect to do it again.")
(These days I just have broadcast TV, and none of the local sub-channels include such things.)
I did an hour's telling mid-afternoon in Elmbridge - Dominic Raab territory. The ward was two Tories, one LibDem.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
Turning away 8% is significant, especially as it does NOT include people who didn't bother to turn out because they knew - or thought - they didn't have acceptable ID.
8%, if anywhere near true, is a ridiculously, disgracefully high proportion of voters to be turning away.
Do you still announce the results with those little ceremonies? An election officer comes out on a little stage, the candidates line up with their identifying rosettes, as if they were school students wondering who will get the reward, the results are read, and the winner congratulated.
I loved those ceremonies because of the cool confidence in your institutions they show -- so I hope you are still doing them. (Coaches in the US sometimes tell their players that they should not make a big fuss after they score, saying something like this: "Act like you've done it before, and expect to do it again.")
(These days I just have broadcast TV, and none of the local sub-channels include such things.)
Yes, all types of elections use that sort of announcement. I think Ireland is another country which does it that way. Maybe also New Zealand? Not sure.
It was a shock to me to find the same thing didn't happen in every other country. Why leave it to TV companies to announce the result?
The main point is that votes aren't counted at the place where people vote. Votes are always taken to a central counting place for each particular district, so you have all the candidates and all the votes in one place, and everyone can watch the votes being counted.
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
What an excellent post. Polemic at its best. This government particularly under Johnson but even now with Home Secretary Braverman has turned the country rancid. Perhaps we should all seek refuge in Rwanda
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
The only polling I saw that was actually how will you vote in these locals had Labour on a gaspingly low 33%, and greens way up in double figures. This is exactly the result you would expect to see if it’s very low turnout everywhere, Labour have failed to get their vote out, Starmer has failed to inspire the polling numbers to actually vote.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Perhaps. But personally willing to await the actual results, including turnouts. But am NOT betting on outcomes.
Okay. Before we know the actual results tea time Friday GMT, can we not agree up front the strongest way to measure them? Before the spinners try to tell us how to measure this election
If Labour are not 10% ahead or getting anywhere around 40 percent of the vote, that would be the big take out from these elections, and quite fairly making all the headlines, we can at least agree in that much up front as fair measure, before the spin people pile in?
I am presuming you mean the 'projected national equivalent' referenced on here earlier.
Yes I agree that would be a .big take out'. Worse than a 10% lead/40% share on this basis would be disappointing for LAB.
Note my forecast of a LAB 7% lead 38-31 which I made earlier tonight.
Tillium's law: surveillance leads to control. Mary Shelley was right.
As ever, the Nature piece is impenetrable bullshit, so it’s hard to form a view. Write scientific papers in English people!!! The confusing bit is rarely the science, it’s that they can’t write for toffee.
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
Soon the issues here will all seem very "analogue era"...unless something big is done.
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
I rather like that. Look, this is me on holiday in Blackpool in 2020. And there's my Aunt Nora. That's photo ID, isn't it?
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
I yield to no one in my disgust about this policy, but the idea of that amuses me. How did she think the photo album would help?
Just got in after one of the most dispiriting days sitting outside a polling station than I can ever remember. Maybe I am just getting old, but I wonder if perhaps our traditional way of running a polling day/get the vote out campaign is irretrievably broken?
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
Yes thanks for adding another piece to the puzzle. The picture we are getting in is massive apathy in voting this election, not just some stay at home Tories, a plague on all your houses stay home from all voters.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
In theory, there could be differential apathy?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
The only polling I saw that was actually how will you vote in these locals had Labour on a gaspingly low 33%, and greens way up in double figures. This is exactly the result you would expect to see if it’s very low turnout everywhere, Labour have failed to get their vote out, Starmer has failed to inspire the polling numbers to actually vote.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Perhaps. But personally willing to await the actual results, including turnouts. But am NOT betting on outcomes.
Okay. Before we know the actual results tea time Friday GMT, can we not agree up front the strongest way to measure them? Before the spinners try to tell us how to measure this election
If Labour are not 10% ahead or getting anywhere around 40 percent of the vote, that would be the big take out from these elections, and quite fairly making all the headlines, we can at least agree in that much up front as fair measure, before the spin people pile in?
I am presuming you mean the 'projected national equivalent' referenced on here earlier.
Yes I agree that would be a .big take out'. Worse than a 10% lead/40% share on this basis would be disappointing for LAB.
Note my forecast of a LAB 7% lead 38-31 which I made earlier tonight.
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
I yield to no one in my disgust about this policy, but the idea of that amuses me. How did she think the photo album would help?
Maybe that was all she had. Photo ID isn't a thing for a lot of older, poorer people.
Do you still announce the results with those little ceremonies? An election officer comes out on a little stage, the candidates line up with their identifying rosettes, as if they were school students wondering who will get the reward, the results are read, and the winner congratulated.
I loved those ceremonies because of the cool confidence in your institutions they show -- so I hope you are still doing them. (Coaches in the US sometimes tell their players that they should not make a big fuss after they score, saying something like this: "Act like you've done it before, and expect to do it again.")
(These days I just have broadcast TV, and none of the local sub-channels include such things.)
Hell yes we do. Like AndyJS I am surprised to find out that is not the way it is typically done.
It can be fun to see who stomps off in a huff rather than stick around for the announcement if they have lost.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if your head of government is not finding out they are the winner whilst standing in a dingy leisure centre at 4am in the middle nowhere with a guy with a bucket on his head next to them, are you even doing democracy right?
Do you still announce the results with those little ceremonies? An election officer comes out on a little stage, the candidates line up with their identifying rosettes, as if they were school students wondering who will get the reward, the results are read, and the winner congratulated.
I loved those ceremonies because of the cool confidence in your institutions they show -- so I hope you are still doing them. (Coaches in the US sometimes tell their players that they should not make a big fuss after they score, saying something like this: "Act like you've done it before, and expect to do it again.")
(These days I just have broadcast TV, and none of the local sub-channels include such things.)
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
I'm not sure that is a particularly good example of the issue if I'm honest. Maybe I haven't looked at one for a while, but how would a photo album prove identity anyway? You might look like the photos, but all that proves is that you look like the photos, not that the person in the photo is person X on the electoral register.
Now, I don't think she should have had to provide a photo ID, but like biggles I can't quite see why that would have been expected to work.
The Tories are lucky that the Shell profits were announced too late to get much traction . A few papers though headline with that for tomorrow’s papers but too late for the council elections.
“When push came to shove the Tories sided with the energy companies and not struggling families “ should though be wheeled out for the GE . I doubt the public will have forgotten the pain of the last year .
@lewis_goodall 6m Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
Hopefully "groups in society" that don't vote Conservative.
Well yes would be funny if Tory gerrymandering backfired
Tillium's law: surveillance leads to control. Mary Shelley was right.
As ever, the Nature piece is impenetrable bullshit, so it’s hard to form a view. Write scientific papers in English people!!! The confusing bit is rarely the science, it’s that they can’t write for toffee.
The task of writing scientific articles like that is ideally suited to AI.
Sky News: elderly woman in Stoke-on-Trent arrived at the polling station with some family photo albums to prove her identity. Wasn't successful (if I understood correctly).
I yield to no one in my disgust about this policy, but the idea of that amuses me. How did she think the photo album would help?
Maybe that was all she had. Photo ID isn't a thing for a lot of older, poorer people.
Well, yes, but as above, a photo of you with no context, stood next to Great Aunt Doris in Bridlington doesn’t show much.
Comments
In other comments, Robinson, justified the shooting of student protesters at Kent State opposing the Vietnam War - commonly known as the Kent State massacre -and said he wanted to see the response emulated today.
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1654203651655606275
Oh, that was after this.
In posts on Facebook/Twitter, Mark Robinson, the GOP frontrunner for NC governor repeatedly mocked the survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting in vicious terms calling them "spoiled little bastards" and "prostitots."
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1654203323455533057
But I'm very confident they don't want to be another republic just like America. They do want to work their current issues through and develop a more Canadian identity to their monarchy/governor-general though.
KCIII needs to respond to that.
Also, plenty of others - like Nigeria - have fond memories of British rule too and to some extent regret severing ties on top. Tuvula is more strongly monarchist than even the UK
As always, it's complex.
1. Because of the need to bring ID, people are not bringing their polling cards with them, so asking for their polling card numbers is pointless - so it makes knocking up, and thus canvassing, more pointless than ever. (Incidentally, just two people turned away for not having the appropriate ID.)
2. The hostility towards the tellers was distinctly unusual, and somewhat unpleasant. There were three of us (Tory, Independent and Lib Dem) and the hostility didn't seem to be directed at any one of us - it was general, non-specific, and fierce. Even if they had numbers, they were not going to give them - and asking for their names and addresses (as optimistically suggested by our Committee Room) would have been heroically pointless, bordering on the suicidal.
3. Turnout very low, in a ward which has councillors from three different parties.
4. The opinions of some of my telling compadres were weird, bordering on the psychopathic. During the day I was told, variously, that too many people get their news from the BBC, that the best place to go for objective information on the economy is from John Redwood's website, the Skripal/Salisbury poisonings were masterminded by MI6 rather than the Russians, one third of all civil servants should be sacked on a randomly selected basis without delay, and the NHS should cease from doing most elective surgery.
I despair of the country I am living in, and I don't think I like many of the people living in it.
6m
Statement from Electoral Commission. They say overall the elections were “well run” but that voter- ID “posed a greater challenge for some groups in society and that some people were regrettably unable to vote as a result.”
Personally I never let the tellers know my name or see my card. It is none of their business.
The handful that came along to you don’t sound like Labour or Lib Dem or Green voters. I am wondering now if todays mass apathy will hurt Labour the most.
Could be a very strange result. Massive low turnout could hurt Labour considering the opinion polls show they have voters they may have failed to encourage out.
I was surprised by the support for the LibDems. Lots of smiles, winks nods, "You've got my vote", "Get rid off the Raab", etc.
8% were turned away because they didn't have ID. One was a man whose passport was stuck in the passport office and his photocopy of it was not acceptable. No driving licence and too young for a bus pass.
Dear Rishi,
I'm afraid to tell you there are no councillors left.
Yours,
Greg Hands
https://twitter.com/samfr/status/1654238081040412675?s=46
I don't know if it will restart on the same Youtube link I provided or a new one - you should be able to find this on Britain Elects twitter.
I have no association with Britain Elects - I am simply posting this for general site interest!
Instead, election workers periodically post list of voters who have already voted. Or otherwise make the list available to party/candidate poll checkers.
Of course, with vote-by-mail (which includes virtually all ballots in WA State, and growing number in other places). Election authorities make available (generally on-line) lists of voter who have voted, then parties/candidate scratch them off their lists for Get Out The Vote (GOTV) mail (when there's still time) and canvassing (doorbelling, phoning, txts, emails).
MUCH better than asking people directly for their personal info, even if it's just polling card number.
Personally would tell anyone who inquired - except for polling - as politely as possible, sorry, that's for me to know and you to wonder about.
A Labour guy actually knocked on my door this evening to ask if I’d voted. First time I can recall that happening.
I agree that it's getting worse, both due to active hostility/resentment from voters, and the pool of activists shrinking, giving a relatively louder voice to cranks and eccentrics. I honestly don't know if it's fixable at this point - sane young people have almostly completely tapped out from what I can see, so the current electoral system is dependent on a small group of more senior activists who can't keep knocking on doors forever.
Instead of photo ID, how about IQ tests?
Folks that AC just described, certainly weren't apathetic. Instead, alienated.
And again, isn't the whole notion of asking people for personal info, just because you want it, rather outdated? In this age of identity theft and similar?
May have worked fine in past (in UK anyway) but now's the present.
So. Have a sit down, remind yourself you're a decent person who did good today, and relax for a bit. Cake is nice I find.
Including some of the BEST observers, Democrats as well as Republicans.
How Much Does ‘Nothing’ Weigh?
The Archimedes experiment will weigh the void of empty space to help solve a big cosmic puzzle
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-does-nothing-weigh/
Will need measurements an order of magnitude more precise than those involved in detecting gravity waves.
Of course with vote-by-mail, you don't need to ask voters, just get the list of returned ballots.
Labour 716
Conservative 439
Liberal Democrat 43
Lab gain from Con
2021: Con 552 Lab 411 Green 300 LD 67
So nothing wrong with the classic teller system, really, but . . .
I suspect the country and the people living in it are better than you fear, but I do think you may be right about the traditional polling day get out the vote campaign being broken. Perhaps its because parties have fewer people to call upon to do it, but that means the people who do will tend to be weirder (not you obviously), people encountering tellers will be rarer (I've only see it once, and that did not really count as it was the candidates themselves at a local by election) and so they probably react with more bemusement to the process.
LAB: 59.8% (+28.9)
CON: 36.6% (-4.9)
LDEM: 3.6% (-1.4)
No GRN (-22.6) as prev.
Labour GAIN from Conservative.
He said in fact there were two polling stations and upon telling what street I lived on he sent us both to the correct one. Polling I was told was brisk - over 30% - nobody turned away - only used my Bus Pass.
Previously if asked by a Teller for my electoral register number I always gave one that didn't exist.
Obviously we need context, how often Lab previously held and in which years.
"If there were a referendum tomorrow, how would you vote?"
Options: "For my country to remain a constitutional monarchy with King Charles as head of state", "For my country to become a republic", and DK/WV.
Republic > keep the monarchy in Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Bahamas, Solomon Is, Northern Ireland, and Antigua and Barbuda.
So he's 5-2 down in the 7 sovereign countries other than Britain that have populations > 400,000, the monarchist two being NZ and Papua New Guinea.
Lose Canada, Australia, and Jamaica, and the republicans in the other 11 will have a lot of traction for saying that keeping the British king as head of state makes sovereignty a sham.
Labour on a shocking 33 and greens 11 DOES NOT mean labour lost supporters have switched to greens, in case BJO wants to declare something daft, but this type of result means greens got their voters out, Labour couldn’t get voters out to vote for them the national opinion polls say they might have.
Google "We Have No Moat, And Neither Does OpenAI"
Leaked Internal Google Document Claims Open Source AI Will Outcompete Google and OpenAI
https://www.semianalysis.com/p/google-we-have-no-moat-and-neither
Researchers invented a new #AI method to convert brain signals into video. See the results for yourself
Published in Nature yesterday: https://nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06031-6
What are the implications? Is this the biggest paper of 2023?
https://twitter.com/itsandrewgao/status/1654233895255298048
* Not really, but this is on the way to a proof of concept.
Mind you, if the greens was spinach…
Sorry, am I doing this right?
Mary Shelley was right.
Some context from Andrew Teale:
https://twitter.com/andrewteale/status/1654244123983872006?s=46
If Labour are not 10% ahead or getting anywhere around 40 percent of the vote, that would be the big take out from these elections, and quite fairly making all the headlines, we can at least agree in that much up front as fair measure, before the spin people pile in?
I loved those ceremonies because of the cool confidence in your institutions they show -- so I hope you are still doing them. (Coaches in the US sometimes tell their players that they should not make a big fuss after they score, saying something like this: "Act like you've done it before, and expect to do it again.")
(These days I just have broadcast TV, and none of the local sub-channels include such things.)
It was a shock to me to find the same thing didn't happen in every other country. Why leave it to TV companies to announce the result?
The main point is that votes aren't counted at the place where people vote. Votes are always taken to a central counting place for each particular district, so you have all the candidates and all the votes in one place, and everyone can watch the votes being counted.
Yes I agree that would be a .big take out'. Worse than a 10% lead/40% share on this basis would be disappointing for LAB.
Note my forecast of a LAB 7% lead 38-31 which I made earlier tonight.
Look, this is me on holiday in Blackpool in 2020. And there's my Aunt Nora. That's photo ID, isn't it?
It can be fun to see who stomps off in a huff rather than stick around for the announcement if they have lost.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if your head of government is not finding out they are the winner whilst standing in a dingy leisure centre at 4am in the middle nowhere with a guy with a bucket on his head next to them, are you even doing democracy right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGTVAanC9aM
Not up yet, but later tonight or early morning UK time.
Now, I don't think she should have had to provide a photo ID, but like biggles I can't quite see why that would have been expected to work.
“When push came to shove the Tories sided with the energy companies and not struggling families “ should though be wheeled out for the GE . I doubt the public will have forgotten the pain of the last year .
LAB: 48.5% (+20.2)
CON: 34.3% (+19.9)
LDEM: 10.7% (+2.9)
GRN: 6.5% (+1.0)
Labour GAIN from UK Independence Party (-29.9).
Must have been independents before too,