democracy = hard

[kat_lair]

So. Local elections. For once I'm both registered and living next to the polling station and everything and have plans to go and vote. In light of this I said to myself: 'Self, go find out who the candidates are so you can select the person least likely to fuck things up even worse.'

And off I went. To the local council's website. Wherein I found a list of candidates. Very good, now I know what they are called and which parties are represented. However, that was it. There are no candidate profiles, no manifestos, no lists of priorities or pledges or aaaaaaaaaaanything. Fuck all. (well, except for that one candidate who is already in the council but even that wasn't very helpful)

There has been absolutely no leaflets, door-to-door canvassing, no posters, placards, signs etc. in my area either. I tried googling the candidate names and got nowhere.

At this point I'd settle for picture so I can decide who has kind eyes.

Bah.

Comments

[pushkin666.livejournal.com]

Meh. That's no surprise. I got two leaflets at the last general election and nothing for the local election. People involved in politics these days are damned lazy (yes I know that's a generalism). When I used to be involved we did a minimum of two leaflet drops for local elections and when it was general elections, we did lots, including one on the morning of the vote.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

They might knock on your door next week... on the other hand we have to agree we've noticed a dearth of candidate info the last couple of council elections. And if you ring them up or call at the nearest 'surgery' they'll have you inside and licking envelopes before you can say hello, but without ay indication of where all the envelopes go. This, btw, applies to all parties so far as I can see.

For council elections we tend to find out what their 'day job' is - if they have any business connections (successful) they are probably numerate and capable of balancing the books. Kind eyes can be deceptive.

At least you have some idea of Manchester City Council's overall philosophy etc. Ours is a dog's breakfast.*g*

[trialia]

I got my poll form and nothing else, yet.

[dreamersdare.livejournal.com]

We had leaflets. Three, in fact which all said the same thing.

"Vote Labour because Conservatives/Lib Dems are bad"
"Vote Conservative because Labour/Lib Dems are bad"
"Vote Lib Dem because Conservatives/Labour are bad"

Which is irritating, frankly, because I don't want to decide my local vote on the basis on the national stance of whichever party the candidates claim membership of.

I did find this on my council website though which may explain why we're not finding anything about the candidates there...

[ungratefulwench.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of leaflets tend not to appear until the final week so you are possibly too early in looking out for information because obviously, making an informed decision is overrated... Oh, politics, so ridiculously stupid sometimes.