Vince Cable on the BBC is pointing out that exit polls don't include postal votes, which this time around could be as many as a quarter of the total. Meanwhile: rumours are doing the rounds that Labour is worried about Sunderland, which ought to be a stronghold and prides itself on being the first seat to report.

 

http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2010/05/election_night_live_blog_0

 

Simply put, I wouldn't trust the exit polls.

I went with the Liberal Democrats. :thumbup: I don't like the Conservatives 6 billion pound cut from public services.

Hmmm, not sure what to make of this as the results aren't in yet:

 

This is a decisive rejection of Labour. We can govern with this result.

~David Cameron

 

Hm, i'm watching Sky News and it seems like loads and loads of people have been rejected to cast their vote even tho they've been within the law to do so after 10.

Edit: Oh god, now they are talking about BNP and "disillusioned voters", i cannot help but laugh. Nice that it isn't democratic to vote for them... Lol, logic.

There are reports that some polling stations have been overwhelmed by an unusually high voter turnout, which has caused major queues and has led to certain stations turning people away (presumably after the 10pm deadline). David Dimbleby just reported stories of some people not being able to vote because of a lack of ballot papers. It seems that many polling stations were unwilling to extend their polling hours to accomodate these problems. Labour's Harriet Harman has suggested already that this could lead to legal challenges in close constituencies (so surprise there). I fear this could be our 'hanging chad' scenario...

 

Oh, and Nigel Farage (former UKIP leader) was involved in a plane crash while trying to use the plane to show a banner for his party.

 

 

What a surreal day, only in America :???:

I don't live in GB but I'm really interested in the outcome. I hope the liberals win :P

I'm pretty sure there were still queues of people waiting to vote at one of the polling stations in my town at 9.45, 15 minutes before it was scheduled to shut. Not entirely sure what they done about that.

I voted Lib Dem however.

Results map as they come in:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/interactive/2010/may/06/uk-election-results-map

Hm, i'm watching Sky News and it seems like loads and loads of people have been rejected to cast their vote even tho they've been within the law to do so after 10.

Edit: Oh god, now they are talking about BNP and "disillusioned voters", i cannot help but laugh. Nice that it isn't democratic to vote for them... Lol, logic.

 

Interviews with voters on BBC, just wow. Showing up, seeing a line, then going away hoping the line will go away, waiting to stand in line untill aver 9, because you realize you might have to stay in line?

 

don't people take the right to vote, that thousands have died for, seriously? It's once ever 4 years, are some hours too much to ask?

 

Then there's the whole "registering to vote" proccess that appals me. How can you even have such a rediculous proccess, everyone 18+ has the right to vote no? why isn't everyone simply registered at 18 then? In norway everyone is registered to vote the day they turn 18. A permanent address defines their closest polling station, or anyone can vote online.

 

required voting registration, is a democratic issue. Failing logistics in a wester democratic election? come on, that's just pathetic. Then there's the issue of actual popular representation.

 

I wasn't aware of this huge mess in britain.

So wait, you're automatically registered on your 18th birthday in Norway? Here in America you have to register to vote, sometimes with a particular party (depending on the state). The 2008 election I registered over 400 people, which in a county where less than 35,000 people voted, that's a significant amount of registrations.

So wait, you're automatically registered on your 18th birthday in Norway? Here in America you have to register to vote, sometimes with a particular party (depending on the state). The 2008 election I registered over 400 people, which in a county where less than 35,000 people voted, that's a significant amount of registrations.

 

yes. you're automatically regiestere do vote on your 18th birthday in norway. if you're 18+ your automatically registered the day you gain residency voting rights in local elections, similarly you're automatically registered for voting the day you gain citizenship.

 

last year I was 18, and voted for the first time. What did i do in preparation? nothing. i showed up, showed my passport as id, got it digitally read and got handed my ballot. My first vote took me the 2 mins to walk to the nearest school to my house, 2 minutes to actually vote (I was a newbie so i was slow to make sure i did it all right), and 2 minutes to work back to my house.

 

It's the only system that makes democratic sense in any way, to me at least. isn't that what universal suffrage really means? accessible and universal voting for everyone who has the right to vote, without any barriers in their way?

So wait, you're automatically registered on your 18th birthday in Norway? Here in America you have to register to vote, sometimes with a particular party (depending on the state). The 2008 election I registered over 400 people, which in a county where less than 35,000 people voted, that's a significant amount of registrations.

Yep, same here in Sweden - automatic.

Damn slow counting i have to say.

You'd think that, my fellow Norwegian, but that's not how it is here. I support that, but most people here don't; I even have trouble convincing liberals to take my stance on this issue. I'm of course talking about the voter disenfranchisement of prisoners. Felons have their voting rights taken away here, and in some states it's permanent. I support the right of people to vote, even when they're in prison. Engaging them in the political process encourages good behavior and can serve as a means to integrate them back to society.

 

I also think we should have voting by mail like they do in Washington (the state). Gets more people to vote.

To be honest, i wasn't entirely aware people in the UK had to register to vote until this election came around and those adverts on the tv were broadcast reminding people to register. There was a postal voting option available over here, which is pretty good as i know some of the more elderly neighbours in my steet used it as they would have a hard time getting up to the polling station.

I personally think the reason the UK electoral system is in such a mess is because if it was reformed, it would give both Labour and Conservatives much more chance to lose power. With low voter numbers and without PR, they know they can keep power between the two of them, Instead of wanting to better the country, they want to keep the power.

Is the Sun news source thing similar to Fox news? I'm trying to make sense of this whole britain thing.

 

It's owned by the same man, so yes, it's like Fox News.

 

The guy making this has been uploading new ones pretty fast.

 

Looks like a hung parliament, and no Lib. Dem. miracle.

 

This is why the UK and Canada need parlimentary reform.

 

Pop Vote

 

Conservative 36.6%

Labour 27.8%

Liberal Democrat 22.5%

 

Seats won

 

Conservative 234

Labour 180

Liberal Democrat 36

At least you guys know that you'll have a Labour government during the next election. :thumbup: :thumbdown:

Disappointing result, I expected a hung parliament and although all the votes aren't in yet, Lib Dems have lost out a hell of a lot, which is a turn up for the books. But also Tories haven't gained as much as I expected thankfully, I'm glad the Green Leader got the Brighton seat though. =) Just have to wait for the rest of the results, although I feel Gordon will cling to No. 10 for as long as he can, no matter the public opinion...

Pop Vote

 

Conservative 36.6%

Labour 27.8%

Liberal Democrat 22.5%

 

Seats won

 

Conservative 234

Labour 180

Liberal Democrat 36

that's messed up

 

what's the system used?

Pop Vote

 

Conservative 36.6%

Labour 27.8%

Liberal Democrat 22.5%

 

Seats won

 

Conservative 234

Labour 180

Liberal Democrat 36

that's messed up

 

what's the system used?

 

We use first past the post. It doesn't work perfectly.

 

650 voting areas, each has 1 seat.

 

If in one seat area Conservatives get say 40% of vote, Labour get 30% and lib dems get 30% Conservatives get the seat, ignoring the fact 60% did not vote for them.

Therefore when you tot it all up things happen like Lib Dems get like 20 - 30% of the vote but because of who votes are spread out the win like no seats.

The only real surprise in this is just how badly the Lib Dems seem to have done compared to the expectations placed on them. People were expecting them to get 80-90 seats and it looks like they wont even hit 60.

This election does go to prove that our electoral system is rubbish seeing as the Lib Dems have only got 2m votes less than Labour in second yet Labour have 5 times as many seats as the Lib Dems as it stands :unsure:

I think Lib dems can scrape 5 more seats from the ones stil remaining. Labour still have a few safe bets as well. If LAB+LD>CON then maybe there is some hope.

 

This was the conservative's for the taking. They had a massive lead in the polls coming into the election season, and they squandered it.

It might well happen but I really can't see how Labour can justify governing with a Lib Dem pact, when they'd still lack a majority of seats. I think Nick Clegg should honour his pledge of supporting the party with the most votes in a minority government so they can begin to govern and pass essential legislature.

 

Edit: Clegg just said he would. He seems to be a very good man, it's a shame he's leading a party that is doomed to be in the minority, but if he gets his electoral reform (and I actually hope he does) that might change.

I really hope you guys get a new system til next time.

(currently) Democratic Unionist Party - 168,216: 8 seats. UK Independence Party - 868,054: 0 seats.