Well, tomorrow’s the day when the UK goes to the polls for the first time in five years.
A lot has happened during that time, and in the fourteen years the Conservatives have been in power.
I’m not going to tell you which way to vote – I mean, who cares about my opinion? Actually, I care about my opinion but I’ll keep it to myself.
The key thing is whatever you do, please exercise your democratic right by going to your local polling station tomorrow and using your vote wisely.
I read today that one in five votes has already been cast because so many people have postal votes.
This is interesting because all the stories I’ve heard about postal votes is of paperwork not being received in time. A shambles is an understatement.
I’m currently in France and when the date of this election was announced, I was advised by electoral registration in Dorset to apply for a proxy vote as it had been called at such short notice.
So I did and reeived an email saying I would hear more in due course. I didn’t, although my proxy did but she wasn’t sent a polling card for me. In the meantime, I recieved a postal vote (which I hadn’t asked for) but with not enough time to return it for it to be counted.
I thought I’d be disenfranchised, like I was for the local elections when I didn’t receive a postal vote at all, even when I’d applied for one.
Then yesterday, two days before the election, my proxy received my polling card through the post.
So my vote will count after all. Whether it will make a difference is anyone’s guess but at least I (or my trusted proxy) will be doing my bit.
See you on the other side.
Maddie Grigg 