The postal votes are out there now. In Brighton Pavilion, something like 10000 voters will be voting postally. It’s astonishing.
It’s also tantalising to wonder what those ballots cast could tell us but that must elude us. The postal vote packs went out last week and a great percentage have been returned already.
It does make me wonder a bit. Gordon Brown had his gaffe last week (and plenty of people have said to me that they think he had a point) so what if Cameron or Clegg have one of similar magnitude this week? Will people who have already cast their ballot regret their promptness?
It has also changed the dynamics of the local campaign. We’ve been calling and cajoling our friends to make sure they send their ballot paper back in good time. A good chunk of Labour support has hopefully already made their vote.
I voted by post in 2005 because I was away with work. I found it a very unsatisfactory experience. I like going to the polling station, marking my cross and dropping my paper into the box. It feels more real, somehow.
Anyway, public service bit coming up. If you have opted to vote by post and don’t get it into the post in time, don’t forget that you can drop it off (signed and sealed) into a polling station on polling day itself.
Oh I agree with you, there’s nothing like putting your cross on the paper on the day.
The only thing that gives me greater pleasure is to (and I know this’ll annoy you) refuse to tell the exit polls my name or who I voted for. None of their business and I wish they’d simply leave me alone! However as an “undecided” voter it does give an early indication of who’s winning as the parties scurry to knock on my door and cajole me to get down and place the vote I’ve already cast
If the parties are running a good campaign they should only knock on your door if you have told them you are going to vote for them…
@chris
We don’t want to know how you voted. We just want to know what your polling number is. So we don’t go and knock you up if we think you’re one of ours.
There’s at least two lots that think I’m possibly one of theirs – Truth be told I still haven’t made my mind up (again!)