"Can we count on your vote?"
By Wizzywig
@Wizzywig (7847)
April 13, 2010 6:20am CST
I'm sure we've all been stopped in the street or on our doorsteps by political campaigners asking if they can count on our vote. My response is always that it is a secret ballot and therefore, NO-ONE can actually count on my vote. Many of them will continue to press as to which candidate you might be leaning towards but, it is still a SECRET vote... what do they not understand about the word secret? I have suggested that they go home and check it out in the dictionary!
I dont tell anyone how I intend to vote or how I have voted...its between me and the ballot box.
How about you? Do you tell the campaigners? Do you tell them the truth? Do you tell anyone else?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@laglen (19759)
• United States
13 Apr 10
It really depends on who I am talking to and why. If I am trying to garner support for my candidate then yes. If I am coming out of the grocery store and some pollster wants to know, I tell them it is none of their business. As you said, it is a secret ballot, there fore it is private.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
13 Apr 10
Canvassing is the life-blood of political parties. I think that it's impolite to simply ask someone flat out who they are going to vote for and I usually tell them (in some way or other) to mind their own business. Occasionally, out of exasperation or devilment, I say that I'm going to vote for another party (or candidate) than the one I actually plan to vote for. I hope that it will mess up their statistics but, of course, it generally doesn't make a difference.
I will sometimes tell a survey my real voting habits but only if I am assured that the survey results themselves are compiled anonymously and cannot be personally identified, as proper surveys usually are. The kind of information produced this way (by several forecasting companies) is of interest and some value to us, so I have no qualms about giving it where it's necessary.
1 person likes this
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
13 Apr 10
I think there are still people who will agree with whichever candidate/campaigner appears simply to get rid of them (or course, there are reverse tactics on that one)
I cant stand all these programmes weeks in advance telling us how the election might go. (Its like all the guessing about when the world might end.) We all have to make our own decision based on whatever criteria we deem appropriate. I suppose some people will be swayed by forecasts in terms of tactical voting. Thanks for your opinion.
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
13 Apr 10
My vote is my business. I like your answer, and I think I will borrow it if the need arises. Good discussion idea. I do not recall the last time I was approached in person. I do get annoying recorded phone calls, that I just ignore.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
13 Apr 10
My vote is my business. I like your answer, and I think I will borrow it if the need arises. Good discussion idea. I do not recall the last time I was approached in person. I do get annoying recorded phone calls, that I just ignore.
I dont think ours have resorted to recorded messages yet but I always hang up on any recorded message calls.
@BarBaraPrz (47619)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Apr 10
I usually say I'm undecided.
The reason they ask, is if they can count on your vote, then they check at the polls to see if you have voted. If you haven't, they call to remind you to vote, sometimes even offer to pick you up and take you to your poll. In a close race, every vote counts.
@Matthammer (385)
•
13 Apr 10
I answer the same as those listed above that it's secret for a reason. I think we all understand why they poll/ask people, but i have to say i'm intrigued by your answer.
Do you live in a very small country are are you referring to local council elections in a small catchment area. I'm UK-based and i know they nationally they don't check if individuals have voted. By the time they realise someone hasn't voted it's too late to do anything about it. I can also certainly never see a Labour bus ferrying people to a polling station, though with their current poor popularity they might bear it in mind ;)
@BarBaraPrz (47619)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Apr 10
I live in Canada. We have the same parliamentary system as you do.
It's the individual candidates' supporters that call.
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
13 Apr 10
I've heard of people being offered a lift to the polling station by the "door knockers" in an attempt to secure a vote but I've not known them to check on the day like that. It sounds rather like those fly-by-night builders offering to take people to the cashpoint...
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 Apr 10
I always tell them that my vote is confidential...
