Just Been To Vote In Our Local Elections

Discussion in 'Politics & Government' started by Holly Saunders, May 2, 2019.

  1. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Had to wait for hubs to get home from work and we went and voted, we always do... , got there just after 7pm, polling stations are open until 10pm

    Different to the General Elections where we vote for the party we want to run the country .. because local Elections ..( I don't know how the Uk differs from the USA)... are for much more localised matters...

    Explanation here...

    https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/how-am-i-represented/local-council


    If you have similar do you vote in all political elections in your area? ...and how many different political ones are there?
     
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  2. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    We vote on local matters at the same time as we do state and national elections but yeah, we have pretty much the same thing. On a typical ballot, we'll vote on things like President or members of the US Congress and the State Governor or State Congress members, and people for our town councils, school boards, district attorneys, and so on, although states will differ on which offices are elected, versus appointed, positions. For example, some states elect judges, while judges are appointed in other states. In Maine, we also vote on what are called citizen referendums, although most of them are promoted by out-of-state agenda organizations, and may range from gay marriage to repealing a tax passed by the State Congress, to borrowing money for one thing or another. Most of them are about borrowing money and they are actually intended to meet the needs of various state agencies or legislators, who are unwilling to stick to a budget. Nevertheless, it is rare for a money question to fail in Maine. For example, we budget X number of dollars to maintain our roads and bridges, we have a bunch of taxes on gasoline in order to pay for our roads and bridges, and we also collect tolls to pay to maintain roads and bridges, but that's not enough; nearly every election year, we have a referendum for borrowing additional money to maintain roads and bridges. The federal and state election stuff, as well as the referendum questions, are on the same ballot, while the local stuff is on a separate ballot, but we vote on them at the same time.
     
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  3. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Goodness that's a lot of add on's Ken, I wouldn't be able to keep up with all of that..

    We only have the 2 separate elections.. ..

    The cost of our roads etc all come out of our taxes whoever is in power... nothing is separated ...
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    We do have local elections, sometimes combined with national elections and sometimes separate. We ALWAYS vote in all elections, and most of our local politicians are good folks, although there are a few losers who can't hold any other job, and choose public office as a job that doesn't require much and has low standards of accomplishment if you can fool enough people to get elected to something.
     
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  5. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    "a British or Irish citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union"

    @Holly Saunders , does that mean the a person from, let's say, France a can vote if they live in England?
     
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  6. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    To save me typing it all out @Shirley Martin here are the qualifications...

    Who is eligible to vote at a UK general election?
    To vote at the UK general election you must be registered to vote and:

    • 18 years of age or over on polling day
    • be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
    • be resident at an address in the UK (or a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
    • not be legally excluded from voting
    The following cannot vote in a UK Parliament election:

    • members of the House of Lords
    • EU citizens (other than UK, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Malta) resident in the UK
    • anyone other than British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens
    • convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences, excluding contempt of court (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
    • anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election
    Who can register as an overseas voter?
    If you are a UK citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas voter.

    You must have been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years and be eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections and European Parliamentary elections.
     
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  7. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    I copied that from your link, @Holly Saunders . I took it to mean that a EU citizen living in England could vote.
     
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  8. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    yes they can Shirley but they were due to change the rules this year for these elections today...so that EU citizens living here and holding British citizenship could now vote... I don't know if that's been implemented yet tho'... previous to that some EU citizens had to be resident here for 15 years..., but that said, I still don't think anyone from the EU living here but without British citizenship can or will be allowed to vote..
     
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  9. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    OK...……..………. that's clear as mud. :D

    I always vote in every election. "If you don't vote, don't bitch."
     
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  10. Tom Galty

    Tom Galty Veteran Member
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    Was reported that the number of spoiled papers was a lot higher than normal.
    Cons and Labour lost a high number of seats.

    In London we did not have any local elections this time ours are next year I think.

    But thanks to May looks like we will be voting in the EU elections next month.
     
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  11. Tom Galty

    Tom Galty Veteran Member
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    Bit confusing but.

    A EU citizen who pay local taxes can vote in local elections.

    They cannot vote in a General Election.
     
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  12. Sir Walter Pasty

    Sir Walter Pasty Veteran Member
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    No elections in Wales but it seems people were voting on national issues not local ones.My staunchly Labour ward once elected a Lib-Dem because she was the only candidate Interesting in saving the bus that ran through the estate to town.It still runs and now she is an A.M(Welsh Assembly Member).
     
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  13. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Yes that's the pity of it, so many people were either forgetting or not realising this was local elections and not General...so writing offensive rhetoric on the Ballot papers in some parts of the country against the Government wasn't helping anyone.

    We held onto the tory seat here.. thank God !!

    I understand Wales didn't get to Vote... but I don't understand why London didn't get to vote @Tom Galty ..we're just 20 miles outside the city yet we were able to vote... any ideas why neither London nor Wales were able to vote this time?

    it's annoying also because we have another election near the end of the month...just got the polling cards in the mail this morning..!!
     
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  14. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Leave it to the Englishters to screw up a simple thing like voting. ;):D
     
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  15. Tom Galty

    Tom Galty Veteran Member
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    London will be voting next year.
     
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