Voter Apathy

[eastrock]

Do you think this year will see a record turnout at the elections?

[gagged]

I think that is the question on everybody's lips including the current "gangsters and halfwits"

It is a very difficult question to answer. I was having a conversation the other day with a perspective candidate for the up coming elections who is flying under the progressive banner. His belief is the electorate will be full of anger and will want to get to the ballot boxes as a result of the last set of voting on the no confidence vote on the council of ministers and the vote of censure on big Frank.

I told him that I believe the electorate were angry with the HDLG debacle, the GST, the baleaf and walkers speech, the Harcourt fiasco. I believe after this last set of voting, to many, that anger would have now turned into dispair and hopelesness and a feeling of "what's the point"?

There is no doubt our ruling elite sent out a message saying "we are untouchable" your deputy's and connetables won't "represent" you, you don't stand a chance of defeating us.

For those who have replaced anger with hoplesness, dispair,dispondancy or apathy you've got plenty more of the same to come if you don't get to the ballot boxes.

[Jersey Forum Admin]

Jul 4, 2008 18:55:28 GMT @eastrock said:

Do you think this year will see a record turnout at the elections?

I think "yes", simply by virtue of the fact that more people than ever before are getting themselves organised politically.

What I wouldn't like to guess is the likelyhood of those numbers being enough to make a record difference at the polls...

[eastrock]

It really is all about the alternative. However, Londoners were so fed up about being hit in the pocket by Ken, they voted Boris in. Have we got a scruffy, blonde, fruitcake over here to put forward? ( I mean that in a light-hearted way of course)

[crappogre]

I hope the time zone vote will bring more people to the polls.

[Jersey Forum Admin]

The timezone vote is an insult to the public. Much has been made of it being a referendum, even with postal votes now being allowed, yet the States have made clear that once the result is in they don't have to abide by it!

That's like me saying to someone, "Right, I'm going to take you for a night out. And the choice is all yours what we do. I can book us a place in a restaurant, or we could spend the evening pubbing and clubbing, it's up to you. So go and go and get yourself tarted up, decide what kind of evening you'd like, and meet me back here at 7pm. Oh, and by the way, if I don't agree with your decision we'll be doing what I want to do."

People shouldn't be expending their energy debating CET. They should be redirecting their focus to seriously question why the States are holding a referendum with a clause which allows them to ignore the result....because the issue of that attitude is far more important than the actual CET debate.

[davroslesueur]

Given the way the votes went this week is it any wonder why there is voter apathy!

[eastrock]

Or it could make people even more determined to oust them.

There could only be apathy if anyone believed that the motion would actually be passed. There was never any hope of that. I'm not sure if it achieved anything. But it had to be done considering all the c**k ups as of late. The person behind the proposal has a major impact on the outcome. Stuart spends most of his blog pages slagging the house to pieces. I'm surprised he even got 8 votes. We really need some new faces at this coming election. Now that is going to be difficult as there will definitely be candidate apathy after this weeks results.

[onecheesey]

Hello all!

Nice to see an alternative forum up and running Makes a change from the usual PJ tosh, thanks!

Anyway, voter apathy. Well from my perspective I have to say that my views have drastically changed over this last 7 months or so. Prior to the avalanche of c**k-ups, cover-ups & f**k-ups that we've witnessed recently I have to admit to being one of the truly apathetic brigade.

Myself and my wife have, for many years, just torn up our electoral registration form. Partly due to anger and partly due to a feeling-expressed elsewhere on these posts-of total hopelessness. But not anymore! As a father of two little monkeys, I really do fear for their futures in this island. Apart from finance and the associated gravy-train, what else is there?

The place has been 'raped and pillaged' by the greedy cabal of wealthy types that seem to dominate over here. We have a States who are just lap-dogs to the rich business community and who seem to want to perpetuate this corrupt and archaic governmental system! We also have to put up with a local media that, quite frankly, should be totally ashamed of themselves.

When you put all that together and then add all of the other injustices rampant on this rock you can very clearly see why people such as myself and my wife feel apathetic. But, enough is enough! I think the time has finally come when many ordinary folk have become so damned angry that they really want to do something. Short of storming the States mad-house in the Royal Square then we have to turn to the ballot-box, en-mass!

But we need credible alternatives. Good luck to Stuart Syvret and his possible Charter. I have long been a supporter of his and voted for him in the past. I think many, many voters would turn to his Charter as a viable alternative choice in the future. He would certainly attract many more to vote. I just hope that some very credible people come forward over the next few months and give us, the ordinary neglected people of Jersey a choice!

Because, if the ruling elite get their way (and mark my words they will if we don't stop them) and take us down the independent route then this island is doomed! Many, including me and my clan, will leave. So please don't feel apathetic anymore folks and lets get out there in the Autumn and start to make a change for the future of this island and the generations to come.

There, rant over

[davroslesueur]

OneCheesy, love the name

Great post.

The points you put across are very typical of the ordinary person in Jersey. Sadly, this view is often held up to contempt by the very people who seek to lord over us.

The ONLY way to stop the destruction of Jersey is to make people register for the vote.
Ask everybody you know - "HAVE YOU REGISTERED?"?

[dduval]

I have always voted and some of my votes have seen canditates elected but what can they do as individuals?

As Syvret quite rightly predicted before ministerial goverment started it is doomed to failure without party politics. We are all aware that their is a covert poltical party "the establishment" and they select a few canditates at each election who seem to have huge budgets and get in, apparently as individuals. Once in power their voting records quickly show their alligence to the party.

Stuart's charter has a great chance of success in my mind as despite his faults he remains hugely popular and if by signing up to the charter and getting his endorsement per se, the electorate can identify with people of his ilk or mindset I think there might be a chance this time, hopefully.