thessalian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thessalian) wrote2010-05-07 01:09 am
thessalian) wrote2010-05-07 01:09 am
A Non-Political Election Night Rant
I'm not going to talk about the exit polls. I'm not going to talk about what party sucks and what party is awesome and what party I want to win and all of that. I'm not talking parties or politics. I'm talking about the fact that I am a little sick at the way this election has been handled.
Basically, I'm talking about the people who were unable to vote because of organisational ineptitude.
In some constituencies, people were queueing up around the block. In the rain. For hours. And despite arriving early, they could not get into their polling stations to fill in their ballots before 10pm, which is when our polls close. And they were turned away, with the comment, "We're sorry, but rules are rules". This is rubbish. I understand that they want the votes in by a certain time, but that being the case, when they see queues of that magnitude, perhaps it might be an idea to talk to someone and try to get in more staff? Surely there are contingencies in place for if your polling station staff get sick or something; there must have been standbys. So now there are constituencies in which people are trying to block the ballot boxes from going out because they were not permitted to put their ballots into said boxes despite arriving in what should have been enough time to vote.
And then there's the spots that ran out of ballot papers and so were turned away on that basis. I ... have no words for that.
* Edit: At least the running out of ballot papers was temporary, though I wonder how long it took for them to get new ballot papers and how many people missed the poll closure as a result. Now, the bits where hundreds were left off the electoral roll in Chester ... that just horrifies me.
Y'know, I actually want riots. I don't want people hurt or property damaged; that's not why I want riots. I want riots because people were denied their rights out of sheer ineptitude and it is not fair. It's about time this country learned to stand up and call people on bullshit like this.
Yes, I will be following the election all night, or until I just fall asleep in the armchair, whichever. I want to see how it ends.
Basically, I'm talking about the people who were unable to vote because of organisational ineptitude.
In some constituencies, people were queueing up around the block. In the rain. For hours. And despite arriving early, they could not get into their polling stations to fill in their ballots before 10pm, which is when our polls close. And they were turned away, with the comment, "We're sorry, but rules are rules". This is rubbish. I understand that they want the votes in by a certain time, but that being the case, when they see queues of that magnitude, perhaps it might be an idea to talk to someone and try to get in more staff? Surely there are contingencies in place for if your polling station staff get sick or something; there must have been standbys. So now there are constituencies in which people are trying to block the ballot boxes from going out because they were not permitted to put their ballots into said boxes despite arriving in what should have been enough time to vote.
And then there's the spots that ran out of ballot papers and so were turned away on that basis. I ... have no words for that.
* Edit: At least the running out of ballot papers was temporary, though I wonder how long it took for them to get new ballot papers and how many people missed the poll closure as a result. Now, the bits where hundreds were left off the electoral roll in Chester ... that just horrifies me.
Y'know, I actually want riots. I don't want people hurt or property damaged; that's not why I want riots. I want riots because people were denied their rights out of sheer ineptitude and it is not fair. It's about time this country learned to stand up and call people on bullshit like this.
Yes, I will be following the election all night, or until I just fall asleep in the armchair, whichever. I want to see how it ends.