General Election 2019

Where are you @atz ? Do you have the option to pay for expedited delivery?

They really should find a better system.

Like what? There aren't any electronic systems that aren't anywhere close to as secure and secret as bits of paper.

Perhaps a proxy vote but I suppose that is difficult if you moved away sometime ago and don't know anyone in your constituency anymore.

Luxembourg and no, postage was covered. That said, I sent it back by courier as it was only 10 euros

Like what? There aren't any electronic systems that aren't anywhere close to as secure and secret as bits of paper.

Well what would be better would be like the US system where the ballot papers are generic and you fill in your own details rather than having to have the specific paper with a printed code on it. Hell, they could even just send me a PDF of my own paperwork and have me fill it in and post it back. Perversely they accept that for a proxy vote, just not for an actual vote (as obviously the person using my proxy has the right paperwork).

@jellybaby - for me, simply mailing them earlier.

@atz - I see. At least you're close to the UK. I can't help but feel my partner's definitely won't get there on time unless we pay an arm and a leg to courier it. Even USPS's fastest method won't be guaranteed to arrive on time.

I think the problem with print at home ballot papers is they might all end up looking different (eg I have a laser printer with a knackered drum that leaves lines on things) and then a ballot ends up being identifiable during the count which isn't allowed and so could lead to a high number of rejected postal ballots which some might say is worse.

Apparently there are only 285,000 registered overseas voters so improving the system probably isn't very high up anyone's list. On the other hand faster postal services wouldn't cost a lot more while volumes remain low.

If Johnson makes a show of himself, at least he’s the star. When he has a car crash, websites thank him for the traffic.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/05/boris-johnson-clown-autocracy-critics

not entirely unexpected, but I was surprised how many 'woolly' and obviously un-quantifiable policies there were in there.

Policies that later on could easily be said to have been policy inspirations...rather than guaranteed deliverables.

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Stammer time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI87PRgIKks

Very good, but think this is a notch on...

https://mobile.twitter.com/ofocbrexit/status/1202280359221694464?s=12

40% Lib Dem, 33 Labour for me.... what to do in a strong labour ward (Leyton)? If everyone honoured their % the left vote splits and a red ward goes blue...

I think Labour/John Cryer (who I do no like at all) is safe, but if you're serious about being tactical, vote Labour just to be safe.

Tricky innit! I think Cryer is dead weight too.

I spoiled my ballot in 2017 rather than vote for him. He was still pro-Brexit then, though, and has since come around slightly... I think I'd be able to vote for him this time if it looked close (although I'm in Hackney for this election).

Come to think of it I voted Green in that election for similar reasons and that made no difference at all so I might as well go with my stats.

Still waiting for my postal vote (Aus). Might have to go for an emergency proxy.

Maybe double check some of the tactical suggestions on polling day, although I suspect you're right.

If you resign from the party for which you stood, and were duly elected, there should be no continuity. There should have to be a bye election/re-run to give the electorate an opportunity to confirm whether they were voting for a candidate or a party.

Yesterday 5pm was the deadline for proxy.

It's really clear (I mean, more than that the EU referendum was just advisory clear) that you are voting for a candidate, not a party, because that is one of the defining features of the First Past the Post electoral systems.
If the MP dies in office, then the seat is vacated, if you voted for the party, the party could just replace them.

That people don't understand this should have been a warning for the EU referendum.

Hence Emergency Proxy.

@croft Get in touch with the relevant Electoral Services Team asap, they are run off of their feet at the moment (working 12+ hours days in some cases) trying to sort this sort of thing for people, the more time they have to do it, the more chance there is of getting it down.

It's what I did for the referendum. Takes a degree of trust but the guy who I used (couldn't get anyone I actually knew at short notice to head out of London) actually called me for a chat to introduce himself

Ahhh, really good to know!

Is that neccesarily the case? Surely it depends on a personal decision of the voter. Some will vote for an MP because they believe they will do a good job at representing their local interests on a wider scale and therefore are voting for the candidate and their policies and promises on a local level. Others may vote for a wider idea of trying to get a party into power as they follow their overarching policies and believe that the government should be run by the party of that MP. Plenty of people vote for an MP that they do not agree with in order to get the party in to power no?