Comments on: Scottish Elections: How I’m voting (2/3) - Council http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/ Thoughts. Comment. Opinion. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:39:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: leyton.org » Scottish Elections: Pollokshields ward results http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19965 leyton.org » Scottish Elections: Pollokshields ward results Sun, 06 May 2007 14:21:59 +0000 http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19965 <p>[...] who I’m actually quite pleased to say is now one of three Pollokshields councillors, and did receive one of my votes. Given my other choices didn’t get through, I like to think it helped him in some way. The [...]</p> [...] who I’m actually quite pleased to say is now one of three Pollokshields councillors, and did receive one of my votes. Given my other choices didn’t get through, I like to think it helped him in some way. The [...]

]]> By: Richard http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19934 Richard Thu, 03 May 2007 17:33:40 +0000 http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19934 <p>Certainly being in a large ward, in a large city council, with a new voting system, helps. But sadly the information available from the candidates themselves is confined to bumf through the doors, and is as ever terribly hard to distinguish them on a personal level.</p> <p>One candidate had a weblog, which I suppose is something, although it was more about general asides regarding other parties than the proposals for his tasks. Perhaps if he gets through he'll make a bit more use of it! :-)</p> <p>I'm quite surprised by the prominence <em>my</em> website has when searching for candidate information (I'm not sure what the term is for finding your own website when doing a search on something, but it's certainly rather weird!). I have had a few notes of thanks, and a few notes from one or two candidates, but certainly been left feeling that all of the parties rely on automatic party support rather than anything the candidates themselves say or think, and there's no enthusiasm for the interwebs at grass root political level. A strange exclusion if my server logs are anything to go by.</p> <p>Problem is, what's the solution? And declining voter turnout can only make the situation worse too. One of the most important figures I'll be looking at tonight will be simple turnout. We've had beautiful weather, which usually helps improve it. I'm quite looking forward to our walk to the polling station :-)</p> Certainly being in a large ward, in a large city council, with a new voting system, helps. But sadly the information available from the candidates themselves is confined to bumf through the doors, and is as ever terribly hard to distinguish them on a personal level.

One candidate had a weblog, which I suppose is something, although it was more about general asides regarding other parties than the proposals for his tasks. Perhaps if he gets through he’ll make a bit more use of it! :-)

I’m quite surprised by the prominence my website has when searching for candidate information (I’m not sure what the term is for finding your own website when doing a search on something, but it’s certainly rather weird!). I have had a few notes of thanks, and a few notes from one or two candidates, but certainly been left feeling that all of the parties rely on automatic party support rather than anything the candidates themselves say or think, and there’s no enthusiasm for the interwebs at grass root political level. A strange exclusion if my server logs are anything to go by.

Problem is, what’s the solution? And declining voter turnout can only make the situation worse too. One of the most important figures I’ll be looking at tonight will be simple turnout. We’ve had beautiful weather, which usually helps improve it. I’m quite looking forward to our walk to the polling station :-)

]]> By: leyton.org » Scottish Elections: How I’m voting (3/3) - Regional http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19932 leyton.org » Scottish Elections: How I’m voting (3/3) - Regional Thu, 03 May 2007 17:20:23 +0000 http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19932 <p>[...] but not least, my regional vote (Council and Constituency details here). This is for the additional members to the Scottish parliament, on [...]</p> [...] but not least, my regional vote (Council and Constituency details here). This is for the additional members to the Scottish parliament, on [...]

]]> By: Janet http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19931 Janet Thu, 03 May 2007 17:08:33 +0000 http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/05/03/scottish-elections-how-im-voting-23-council/#comment-19931 <p>Think yourself lucky you've got any information at all to go on! I went to vote at lunch time and arrived at the polling station without a clue about which body we were voting members onto or how many. It turned out that we were given 2 papers, one for county council on which to mark 2 crosses ( choice from: 2 conservative, 2 liberal democrat and 1 unspecified), and one for town council on which to mark up to SIX crosses ( choice from 4 conservative and 4 liberal democrat). The only information we received through the door was a small leaflet listing the conservative candidates for the council election, but no policy information, and nothing from anyone else. This is the poorest election "campaign" (note the inverted commas) I have ever experienced.</p> Think yourself lucky you’ve got any information at all to go on! I went to vote at lunch time and arrived at the polling station without a clue about which body we were voting members onto or how many. It turned out that we were given 2 papers, one for county council on which to mark 2 crosses ( choice from: 2 conservative, 2 liberal democrat and 1 unspecified), and one for town council on which to mark up to SIX crosses ( choice from 4 conservative and 4 liberal democrat).
The only information we received through the door was a small leaflet listing the conservative candidates for the council election, but no policy information, and nothing from anyone else. This is the poorest election “campaign” (note the inverted commas) I have ever experienced.

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