Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack_
I wasn't talking about the crash, I meant the entirely new system of individual voter registration itself which has meant nearly a million people falling off the register - it's appalling and so if the deadline being extended means more of those who were ****ed over by it now get their chance to vote, that isn't a bad thing.
It doesn't matter when people choose to register. It's not an incremental deadline where if you register twelve months in advance your vote is worth ten times more than someone who registers twelve days before. A deadline is a deadline. If I submit an essay half an hour before it is due, it is marked and treated in exactly the same manner as someone who did it a day before me.
If people were trying to register after the deadline then you would have a point, but so long as it were before the deadline it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to how 'worthy' their vote is, what nonsense.
The argument that it favours the remain side is pure conjecture, what about those who are undecided? Perhaps they weren't sure if they were going to vote, watched the debate and then thought it best to register?
The simple fact is by extending the deadline more people are going to be entitled to exercise their democratic right to vote, that isn't a bad thing no matter how people wish to look at it and really it speaks volumes if you think it is  |
Totally excellent points Jack_ all through.
I believe in the fullest democracy in the UK and quite frankly I am astounded that there is not in place automatic voter registration for those who turn 18 years old.
In your first part of your post, you make a brilliant point as to some falling off the register due to the changes and I indeed know of some in the last week who believed they were on the register, then got no polling information.
So had to re-register, ridiculous.
It astounds me that anyone involved in politics or even just interested in politics, would actually not want to encourage, and make sure all people of eligible status and age, can use their full right of a democratic vote in the UK.
Maybe extending the deadline to 2 days later was excessive but the govt had to make its mind up whether to do so,most of one day was in fact lost making that decision, so fair enough.
However the right to vote should be an automatic thing put in place at 18 in my view.
Ensuring all citizens of the UK who are eligible to vote, are securely on the register is all that matters to me,no matter how they may vote or who for.
Naturally too if people move,it is necessary for them to update their information.