CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: VOTE BIKE

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: VOTE BIKE http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: VOTE BIKE en Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:18:24 +0000 neddie on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154500 Fri, 23 May 2014 14:26:17 +0000 neddie 154500@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ While we're on the subject of nuclear ("it's pronounced nuke-u-lar") No, it's pronounced "nu-kle-ar"! Only George Bush and Tony Blair say "nuke-u-lar" - say no more... See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular</a> calmac on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154483 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:59:30 +0000 calmac 154483@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ FWIW I strongly believe there should be a "none of the above" option, or at a minimum some way of marking a non-vote or abstention that doesn't lump you in with the numpties who put crosses against multiple candidates and other daft mistakes. My favourites are the people who sign it. minus six on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154479 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:52:01 +0000 minus six 154479@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Not true, I'm afraid ach... back to mickey mouse drawings it is, then calmac on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154478 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:50:44 +0000 calmac 154478@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ ...and last post for now. Great thread BTW. @wee folding bike "There was also the Glenrothes election where the list of voters disappeared. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrothes_by-election,_2008" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrothes_by-election,_2008</a>" It was the marked up register that disappeared. This is what the people in the polling station mark you off on when they give you a ballot paper. This is then made available to all the parties after the election. If you knew that the marked-up register was going to go missing, then, so long as one person had access to ballot papers, it would take no more than 2 or 3 people to rig an entire election in a constituency. So if you had three guys - one working at Kirckadly Sheriff Court, and a couple at Fife Council, you could fix the whole thing. It's also worth noting that the table at which the postal votes were being counted at the Glenrothes count was at the head of the hall and not available to scrutineers from any of the parties. I've seen Fife Council's map of the hall layout and spoken to people who were there. I am not for a second saying anything fishy happened. But things like this need to be watched very, very closely. The way I know our elections are fair is because people from all parties get to see all the steps in the process and if anyone say anything dodgy they'd scream blue murder. That wasn't possible at Glenrothes. And don't get me started on 2007... calmac on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154475 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:43:47 +0000 calmac 154475@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @gembo "I tried to level the playing field as lottery millions meant SNP had two placards to every one else's one." It's almost certain those boards were handmade from cheap wood by someone in the SNP years ago, and a few nights ago some poor If you're registered for a postal vote, your details aren't on the list at the polling station...b* was up till the wee hours pasting the posters onto them. Those A-boards would have been put out by someone who drove round every polling station in the constituency (at his/her own expense) at 6am, and who will be back round after 10pm to pick them all up. The effect at grassroots level of the Weir's money is that we don't need to do fundraising, which means we have more time for campaigning. We also don't need to buy materials from HQ, we get them for free. And that's it. The idea that we are awash with money is laughable. For years Labour outspent every party in Scotland at elections with money from HQ in London. They have never been self-sufficient in cash. It seems that this history has given them an inflated sense of entitlement when it comes to spending in elections. But if it made you feel better to push over someone else's A-boards, you go right ahead. Fight the powers that be, bro. Personally, I've put up thousands of lamp-post posters and put out hundreds of A-boards, and I would always treat the stuff from other parties with respect, because I know they're out doing all that work for nothing for the same reasons I am. calmac on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154471 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:34:22 +0000 calmac 154471@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @bax "this i do (if there is no GREEN candidate), but its better to cast a blank vote instead of actively spoiling the paper, as they have to actually count the blank votes. <a href="http://www.blankvote.org.uk/blank_votes_count.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.blankvote.org.uk/blank_votes_count.html</a>" Not true, I'm afraid. there is no requirement to seperately declare blank votes. Here's an example from West Lothian's declaration in 2011: <a href="http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/downloaddoc/1799465/2289876/SPResults2011" rel="nofollow">http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/downloaddoc/1799465/2289876/SPResults2011</a> calmac on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154465 Fri, 23 May 2014 12:26:33 +0000 calmac 154465@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "None of my prospective MEP's have bothered to engage with me during the campaign. I've had no info through the door except from UKIP who certainly won't be getting a vote, so I'm just not going to engage with them by giving my vote." First of all, you might want to speak to the Royal Mail about that - every party is entitled to have one leaflet delivered free by them, and all the bigger parties take that up. You ought to have had a mailing from all of them. Second, each party has 6 candidates. There are nearly 2 million households in Scotland. How are they supposed to get round every door, exactly? So you could ask, well, why doesn't an activist come instead. How many activists do you think the parties have? Because the fact is, even the biggest party in Scotland, the SNP, has nowhere near enough activists to get round more than a very small fraction of households during an election campaign. In fact, they have so few that they can't even try - they do their canvassing outside of election cmapaigns, along with blanket leaflet and newsletter drops, and during campaigns they target their identified support. They haven't got the people to do any more than that. Then there's the number of elections. Euros, UK, Scottish, local, and referendum too. It's a huge drain. Sorry, but one way to guarantee annoying me is when someone who sits on their backsides and does nothing to improve the state of their democracy or to get their voice heard moans about no-one courting their vote. There's a small number of dedicated people who are juggling work and family and everything else we have in life, and on top of that putting in countless, thankless hours to promote their cause, and if it's not good enough for you then you could always get out and give them a hand. They might even listen to your opinions. crowriver on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154449 Fri, 23 May 2014 10:31:15 +0000 crowriver 154449@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Besides it had the wean's red bike protecting it. East of the Campsies, it's 'bairn' or 'wee yun'. Definitely not the western contraction 'wean' (usually drawled 'wayne'). Stickman on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154446 Fri, 23 May 2014 10:18:05 +0000 Stickman 154446@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "(I ask for a postal ballot just in case, but realised last time that it meant the kids didn't get to see the polling stations etc, which i thought was important for them. so have dropped in the ballot each time, with child accompanying me)" My parents always took me and my brothers from a very young age with them to vote. Speaking to others it seems to be quite a common way to instil the importance of voting and it appears to work. SRD on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154441 Fri, 23 May 2014 10:01:37 +0000 SRD 154441@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "During the exchange, I learned that if you haven't used your postal vote you can bring it to the polling station and it will be counted." Last time I voted, the officials seemed very baffled by my request. This time, the first sign I saw on entering the polling station was a direction to give any postal ballots to booth 1. (I ask for a postal ballot just in case, but realised last time that it meant the kids didn't get to see the polling stations etc, which i thought was important for them. so have dropped in the ballot each time, with child accompanying me) steveo on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154440 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:58:19 +0000 steveo 154440@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ kaputnik, I suspect if there are any more than 100 votes cast at my polling station alarm bells will be rung! Roibeard on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154438 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:56:15 +0000 Roibeard 154438@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ A friend was nearly disenfranchised yesterday by applying for a postal vote for September. He was told "you know you're too late for May", and he said that was OK as he was around in May, but discovered at the polling station that he was down for a postal vote this time too... A hurried phone conversation between the polling officers got him sorted out with a ballot paper in person. Robert chdot on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154437 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:54:57 +0000 chdot 154437@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "If you're registered for a postal vote, your details aren't on the list at the polling station..." OK, thanks. Hadn't realised that part was so well organised! Greenroofer on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154436 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:43:25 +0000 Greenroofer 154436@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Got to add, though, that when you see what's going on in Ukraine I am immensely proud of the civilised activity that is voting in the UK. I like the fact that it's based on trust and that it just works. (Falkirk and stuffed postal ballots notwithstanding) Greenroofer on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154435 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:42:07 +0000 Greenroofer 154435@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @chdot - If you're registered for a postal vote, your details aren't on the list at the polling station... ...as the chap in front of me found out yesterday. During the exchange, I learned that if you haven't used your postal vote you can bring it to the polling station and it will be counted. kaputnik on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154433 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:38:03 +0000 kaputnik 154433@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Steveo were the Adder Party standing on your ballot paper by any chance? Sounds a bit like 4 voters and 16,472 votes for Baldrick. wee folding bike on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=4#post-154431 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:29:03 +0000 wee folding bike 154431@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ There was also the Glenrothes election where the list of voters disappeared. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrothes_by-election,_2008" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrothes_by-election,_2008</a> steveo on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154428 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:20:52 +0000 steveo 154428@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Since there are only two blokes in my station I some how doubt I could go in twice or more and get away with it. On a brighter note the turn out at my station was much higher than last time. I asked the guy last time at about 2130 and there had been 4 other people through the door... Darkerside on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154427 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:14:47 +0000 Darkerside 154427@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Also surprised by how little security there was on ID. Even the old inky-finger thing would be more robust. kaputnik on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154426 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:12:46 +0000 kaputnik 154426@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Not sure it happens much but you could see how a marginal could be swayed by a committed (and criminal) element. I think it was Labour in Birmingham who found it was easier to just stuff the postal votes full of fraudulent Labour votes. Or then there's the "Falkirk Solution". chdot on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154424 Fri, 23 May 2014 09:09:10 +0000 chdot 154424@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "lots of older people around where I stay" Statistically they are more likely to vote - especially now there are postal votes. Presumably the electoral registers in polling stations aren't marked with 'already voted by post'? Presumably at the count, the postal vote and the 'fake' vote would meet and the postal one counted?? Nelly on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154421 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:51:48 +0000 Nelly 154421@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "Only in the sense that people could vote for others that they know won't vote, or haven't already" Yes, thats where I was coming from - lots of older people around where I stay, voters roll freely available = the scenario Roibeard described. Not sure it happens much but you could see how a marginal could be swayed by a committed (and criminal) element. wee folding bike on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154420 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:48:05 +0000 wee folding bike 154420@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ About 10 years ago someone stole John Humphrys' vote. Roibeard on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154418 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:46:58 +0000 Roibeard 154418@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Nelly, chdot has beat me to it, but in Norn Iron we had/have stricter identification requirements. If you didn't vote early enough there was a real possibility you'd have voted by the time you arrived to vote... Robert SRD on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154416 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:44:09 +0000 SRD 154416@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I didn't lock my bike up either. Was intending to leave it in the church porch, but they'd moved the voting to the hall, which coincided with the ramp being repaved - very bad timing- so anyone wanting to pinch it would have had to carry it up the stairs, out the gate and past the workmen. Besides it had the wean's red bike protecting it. chdot on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154415 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:43:10 +0000 chdot 154415@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "I know it is 'the way' but I cant believe its so open to abuse." Only in the sense that people could vote for others that they know won't vote, or haven't already. But, it has it's own catchphrase - 'Vote early, vote often'! Nelly on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154414 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:37:23 +0000 Nelly 154414@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Am I the only person surprised that you can (as I did yesterday) vote without a card / id etc? I just turned up, said my address and name and was passed the relevant paper to place my X. I know it is 'the way' but I cant believe its so open to abuse. steveo on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154409 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:06:40 +0000 steveo 154409@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Mildly shocked at the bloke who drove down ahead of me, driving 0.2 miles to the polling station. I'm guessing he didn't vote Green. My toddler managed to walk the 400m to and from the polling station. Some people are irredeemably lazy. fimm on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154408 Fri, 23 May 2014 08:01:19 +0000 fimm 154408@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I like the scooter rack! sallyhinch on "VOTE BIKE" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=12848&page=3#post-154407 Fri, 23 May 2014 07:48:36 +0000 sallyhinch 154407@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @crowriver - I've only ever campaigned in marginals so you're probably right. Sitting outside the polling station was always the most fun job. In our village hall, we didn't even have any party placards & like Insto I didn't bother locking my bike.