Reminder: Register To Vote Before 16th April

[SheffieldForum 961]

Inevitably there’s lots of moaning about the powers that be, from local councillors to national government.

 

This year there will be several opportunities to have your say.

 

On Thursday 2nd May, local elections take place to vote for the local councillor of your choice.

 

Additionally, there will be an election for the South Yorkshire Mayor for the next 5 years This position is currently held by Oliver Coppard and is coming early as the Mayor will absorb the Police and Crime Commissioner role (so, effectively you are voting for that at the same time). Coppard will see this as a referendum on his work so far and planned for the future, such as the active travel schemes, bringing public transport under SYMCA control through franchising, reopening Doncaster Sheffield airport, etc — so it is an opportunity to have your say about those things.

 

Last but not least, there will be a general election this year (well, before the end of January 2025 at the very latest). The Government have been floating an October or November election most recently but it could come as early as July. Polls are suggesting a massive swing so there could be huge change afoot nationally — it is worth being registered to have your say on that.

 

So, register to vote here before 16th April to be able to vote in the local elections and anything beyond that:

 

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

 

Don't forget also, that you now need Voter ID. A list of acceptable forms of ID are shown on the electoral commission website, where you can also apply for a voter registration ID card if you don’t have any other valid form of ID.

 

 

 

 

(Awaits the barrage of ‘my vote doesn’t count posts, which are meaningless in the long run — if everyone voted then perhaps things would change. Plus in recent years we’ve seen large swings nationally, particularly across the old ‘red wall’ areas, and even locally with there being control from the Lib Dems, Labour and ‘no overall control’ in recent years, along with a rise of Green votes which seems to really split some areas and only a few votes end up making the difference).

[Vrsaljko 209]

5 hours ago, SheffieldForum said:

if everyone voted then perhaps things would change.

Yeah. We might end up with the left arse cheek rather than the right one.

[aardvark6535 74]

If I need ID to vote, then I will not vote, simples. Voter ID was brought in to counteract a problem we didn't have, in order to increase control over the masses and to get us use to showing ID wherever we go?

[SheffieldForum 961]

13 minutes ago, aardvark6535 said:

If I need ID to vote, then I will not vote, simples. Voter ID was brought in to counteract a problem we didn't have, in order to increase control over the masses and to get us use to showing ID wherever we go?

I think voter ID was unnecessary and penalises less fortunate people.

 

I don't subscribe to a conspiracy though, except perhaps that the people less likely to have ID are the people possibly more likely to vote for certain parties, putting a particular party at an advantage potentially.

 

That said, I found that I carry a form of Id that is readily accepted as voter ID anyway, and at the last election it took literally a second for them to glance at it and OK it.

[RollingJ 2,066]

10 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

I think voter ID was unnecessary and penalises less fortunate people.

 

I don't subscribe to a conspiracy though, except perhaps that the people less likely to have ID are the people possibly more likely to vote for certain parties, putting a particular party at an advantage potentially.

 

That said, I found that I carry a form of Id that is readily accepted as voter ID anyway, and at the last election it took literally a second for them to glance at it and OK it.

Which one?

 

As an aside, I would be very surprised if someone didn't have one, or more of the acceptable forms of ID, and if you don't, I understand you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate - see https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need

[HeHasRisen 3,412]

1 hour ago, SheffieldForum said:

 

I don't subscribe to a conspiracy though, except perhaps that the people less likely to have ID are the people possibly more likely to vote for certain parties, putting a particular party at an advantage potentially.

People can apply for free voter ID, nobody is being disenfranchised. If people can't be arsed doing that they can't be arsed about voting in the first place. 

 

Or, just apply for a postal vote. Aardvark maybe doesn't realise he can do this. No ID required. 

[aardvark6535 74]

Producing a form of ID is not a problem for me either, It's the Principe of having to prove who you are, that I'm against, besides, voting for someone implies that you have respect, and confidence in that person or party, I'm afraid I have very little respect for most of the politicians vying for election today.

I have in the past always voted, subscribing to the view that it was our duty, it's only been since the introduction of this ID farce that I have stopped.

[HeHasRisen 3,412]

6 minutes ago, aardvark6535 said:

Producing a form of ID is not a problem for me either, It's the Principe of having to prove who you are, that I'm against, besides, voting for someone implies that you have respect, and confidence in that person or party, I'm afraid I have very little respect for most of the politicians vying for election today.

I have in the past always voted, subscribing to the view that it was our duty, it's only been since the introduction of this ID farce that I have stopped.

Apply for a postal vote then. Problem solved.

[Vrsaljko 209]

I really don't understand the argument against showing some ID when you vote. You have to show ID when you collect a parcel from the Royal Mail sorting office, so why not when you vote? The government already knows who you are anyway because they've sent you a polling card.

[aardvark6535 74]

4 hours ago, Vrsaljko said:

I really don't understand the argument against showing some ID when you vote. You have to show ID when you collect a parcel from the Royal Mail sorting office, so why not when you vote? The government already knows who you are anyway because they've sent you a polling card.

It really does seem insignificant, that's what the powers that be, want you to think, but add them all together, and before you know it you have no freedom at all. Death by a thousand cuts, or should I say " enslavement by a thousand pieces of legislation".

[Prettytom 1,648]

On 26/03/2024 at 18:45, RollingJ said:

Which one?

 

As an aside, I would be very surprised if someone didn't have one, or more of the acceptable forms of ID, and if you don't, I understand you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate - see https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need

The acceptable forms of ID are skewed towards those carried by older people. For example, an over 60s  Oyster card is acceptable ID, an 18+ Oyster is not.

 

Older people are more likely to vote Conservative. So the system does introduce some bias towards the Tories.

 

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

 

I’m broadly in favour of voter ID, but it needs refining to make it more inclusive.

 

 

[RollingJ 2,066]

Note my comment re the VAC.