this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2024
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UK Politics

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UK General Election voting megathread (b.l3n.co)
submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by Emperor@feddit.uk to c/uk_politics@feddit.uk
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We are past midnight, so all campaigning is over. The polling stations open at 7:00 (and close at 22:00). So it's time for the voting thread.

It's trickier this year because of voter ID requirements but gov.uk have all the details. However, note this: "You can still use your ID even if it has expired." So an out-of-date passport, for example, will work as long as the name is the same and the photo still looks like you. Don't forget that there are other polling stations rules.

There have been problems in some areas with people getting their postal vote on time but if you haven't got yours and you aren't on your holidays, it's not too late. Details on what to do.

Tactical voting can make a difference in some places and there are a number of sites to help with this. They'll largely be similar but check a couple before committing:

If you want your vote to count you can try SwapMyVote.uk.

Other things you can do:

  • Offer lifts to people so they can get out and vote - contact your party of choice

If you have any other resources then throw them in below. If you have any questions then ask away and, hopefully, someone can rummage the answer up for you. edit: If I've cocked up, then let me know.

NB: we aren't endorsing any links, so you will have to use your best judgement on who you trust with your details.

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[–] DrummXYBA@feddit.uk 44 points 4 months ago (5 children)

First time voting today. Fuck the tories

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[–] addie@feddit.uk 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Wife's birthday tomorrow, and she wants rid of the Tories as a present. Fortunately, that's what I was going to get her anyway.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 15 points 4 months ago

Best husband ever for organising this whole business. It becomes clear now that the Tory disarray is part of some massive years-long plan that would dwarf Palpatine's Grand Plan.

[–] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 21 points 4 months ago

The tories have been incumbent for 116 years in my neck of the woods (the previous one was a whig). The surveys say that is likely to end this time. I am sooo looking forward to that.

[–] TIN@feddit.uk 18 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Febrile atmosphere here, febrile.

Hoping that we can be rid of the tories today. More distant hope is for a change to the voting system...

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 17 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

The problem here is that any government that wins an election is disinclined to change the system that resulted in their victory.

Reform definitely wouldn't do it.

Honestly think that the only way that we will get electoral reform is if Lib Dems become the official opposition and they really push Labour on it. The daft thing being that if they actually introduced electoral reform Labour would practically win every time, albeit with a smaller majority, not that it would make any difference to them.

[–] i_am_not_a_robot@feddit.uk 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

The latest YouGov poll actually has the Lib Dems as official opposition in one of their predictions. It's unlikely though as things need to go particularly well for them and bad for the Tories in most of the borderline seats. I'd love to see it happen!

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Let's go, tactical voting! ABCDEF: Anybody But the Conservatives, but Don't Ever Farage.

[–] mondoman712@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Never vote blue

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[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 6 points 4 months ago

Tories turning to reform has a lot to do with the prediction. As that tends to hit Tory/Lib Dem seats hugely. By limiting the Tory vote on the far right. While helping central right Tories voting Lib Dem.

So def worth voting tactically if you live in a historically Tory safe seat area.

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This assumes labour and the current parties would continue to exist as they are under PR.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 6 points 4 months ago

Honestly the UK political ideals would need to change.

I personally think fptp has damaged the UKs idea of political compromise. Looking at attitudes to brexit when it was won by people who had doffering ideas of what it ment.

And the EUs attitude to our red lines eve. Our own parliment could not agree on.

Our politicians all looked like stupid children.

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[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 5 points 4 months ago

Labour aren't going to change the voting system. Unfortunately we have to wait for another hung parliament and then some more before we get representation.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 15 points 4 months ago (4 children)

I've already postal voted.... but work doesn't know that. Should I leave early claiming I need to line up to vote and go off to the pub instead? Lovely weather for it.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 11 points 4 months ago

England expects that every man will do his duty... and naff off down the boozer given half the excuse.

[–] Technofrood@feddit.uk 11 points 4 months ago

My polling station is the village pub

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[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 15 points 4 months ago (2 children)

With TERFs voting Tory or Reform because if trans rights and Reform support being so high amongst young men I'm already done with asking people if they've voted as they aren't shy about disappointing you. Back in the day no-one but the most ardent Nazi would tell you they voted BNP.

[–] UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Catching up on James O'Brien episodes today and he mentions a poll that asked both sides what are the issues important to them.

In both Labour and the Tory results, transgender issues aren't shown. It's the media trying to whip up people in a frenzy.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago

It's definitely a Tory press angle for pushing the Culture War but it has cut through to some degree - the recent Guardian article heard from a number of women voting Tory or Reform because if trans rights. We just had someone post that Starmer can't define what a woman is.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The positive news. Voting reform is very unlikely to win more than 7 seats. But will split the right wing vote from Tories. Letting Lib Dems or even Labour win seats from the Tories.

They are where fptp works for the left for a change.

While Id def prefer a situation where a seat cannot be taken, with >60% wanting any other MP. Here it helps. While maybe convincing more voters, FPTP is shit.

[–] Lifebandit666@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I've always worked factory jobs and have grown used to people showing their true colours at voting time. This year I'm in a different workplace that seems a bit more left leaning, but a few at the table at break time said they couldn't vote for Labour because they would take us back into the EU (I corrected them and told them that's a Tory bullshit and Starmer has outright rejected the idea).

They said that's fine but they still can't vote Labour and they were thinking about voting Reform.

My first instinct was to go on a rant about that mealy-mouthed frog-faced cunt with a french name that wants to stop foreigners crossing our border. Ask the cunt how Brexit went, twat!

Instead I said "Hey great, go for it, if you ain't voting Tory I don't give a flying fuck who you're voting for, it's not a Tory vote and that's all that matters to me."

I would get all thrombo at the last workplace with it's Boris-lovers, I've grown.

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I had to walk away from a young lad (first time voting) going:."yeah but Andrew Tate hasn't been convicted yet".

[–] Lifebandit666@feddit.uk 7 points 4 months ago

Eugh, well done! We were all stupid little fuckers in the past at some point. God I was so full of my own self importance in my 20s it makes me cringe just thinking about it

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[–] UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk 14 points 4 months ago

Hello everyone, please vote. Here's my tiny little bit of useful information. Even though voting closes at 10pm, if your in a queue leading up to to that time, you will still be allowed to vote.

Fingers crossed.

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm canvassing for Labour all morning, voting in the afternoon, seeing Arcade Fire in the evening. So, it's going to be a good day!

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 7 points 4 months ago

And a busy one. Have fun.

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 13 points 4 months ago

Voted

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I took my eldest in with me to show how it all works, what the people to, what voting is, why it's important, why it's secret etc.

He looked entirely disinterested. Fair enough, but I was hoping it would take another thirty years before he got to that stage!

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Don't believe their hype. Get voting and make sure they're gone.

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 5 points 4 months ago

Let's hope it'll be enough

[–] Monzcarro@feddit.uk 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Just voted for Labour. Need to get out the Tory MP who was sycophantic in her defence of Boris partying.

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[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Interesting list https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lvm-xaq0fmVWBBKZPcokySP7oqezssXtJYYDYW4uiqA/htmlview#gid=847143152

[–] Emperor@feddit.uk 7 points 4 months ago

Got to love a spreadsheet.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Turnout.

Id be interested to hear how busy folks found their polling sration. Compared to past elections.

Mine is a hostorical tory safe seat. Predicted to go lib dem.

Turnout at 11am seemed about normal. No real queues 20 or so folks 2 puppies. Past genral elections were about the same. EU ref was notably more people.

[–] UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

In terms of postal votes, it's estimated there will be around 10m in total, a 20% increase on 2019.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Also a sizable % of voters. Given a 66m population.

Interesting that privatised Royal Mail is having issues delivering them on time. I'm sure I am just inventing conspiracies here. As I can't see Tories benefitting from it.

[–] UKFilmNerd@feddit.uk 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The Tories have already introduced ID for voter fraud that was non existent and taken away most of the power from the Electoral Commission. It wouldn't surprise me. 😆

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

We've got a few more hours left. I reckon that at least time for one more classic screw up.

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 7 points 4 months ago

Starmer will say he hates dogs, I reckon.

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[–] IrregularChore@lemm.ee 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

My driving licence had my old address on it but was still accepted as photo ID, In case people were worried about that.

[–] ladel@feddit.uk 6 points 4 months ago

I wondered about that, but then I think expired ID is valid, and your passport doesn't have your address, so I figured it would be fine

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[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 7 points 4 months ago

Here we go!

[–] sirico@feddit.uk 6 points 4 months ago

Cons looking at 130ish seats let the blood games begin!

[–] sirico@feddit.uk 6 points 4 months ago

I want wall-to-wall Schadenfreude streams of each Tory's last day, walking out of Westminster bonus points if Steve Bray is the dj

[–] fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 4 months ago (5 children)

As a non-european I have some questions!

Firstly, is voting in the UK compulsory?

Secondly, how likely is it that the polls are wrong and the Tories will form government?

And thirdly, how have the Tories suddenly fallen from grace? They've presided over a real shit show for the last decade but kept getting elected. What changed?

[–] Twig@sopuli.xyz 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

1 - Nope.

2 - That remains to be seen, but the polls have never been too far wrong in the past.

3 - 14 years of mismanagement, no Brexit to use a as single policy election and the rise of Reform.

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