Election day

[raven]

"Reconciliation in bonobos is a notoriously sexy affair." - this week's New Scientist

Because, really, you have to quote something like that in and out of context.

In other news, today is the fifth of the fifth of the fifth (thank you, Radio Four!) and the day of the general election. And, amazingly, I am eighteen years and three months old. I can vote! And, dammit, I'm going to. Polling stations close in three hours, so I probably should get a move on (my polling station is the village hall on Timms Lane)

Scratch that. In the middle of that sentence I decided to stop talking and start walking, so to speak, and wandered out to Timms Lane. There are a lot of people there, getting home from work and then voting (some people I know went first thing this morning). The polling station opened at six am and will be open for hours yet, and apparently the same people are manning it all that time. I don't envy them their jobs, but they were very nice to me - the woman handing me my ballot paper gave me a big grin and said, "Just caught you!"

Well, yeah. Not many people get to vote aged eighteen years and three months.

So, I have VOTED. And everyone else who hasn't yet, please, please, please get out there and vote. Spoil your ballot paper if you have to, but as hathy_col has already said, if you are a woman or a man who is not a member of the landed gentry, people died for your right to vote. Please go forth and do so.

My ballot paper was a sight to behold - in the end, the constituency of Crosby (it's a good link - although as anyone who has sent me a postcard will know, I live in Freshfield, which is described rather disturbingly in the blurb) featured Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, Ukip, Christian Democrat and Communist candidates. Really. The Christian Democrats are fundamentally disturbing as well - their manifesto came through the door, and seems to be entirely devoted to reinstating Section 28 (and contains the word "homosex"!) - as are Ukip, but I feel nothing but amusement about the Communists. The candidate is called Geoff Bottoms. Poor, poor guy.

[Last time ours was one of the first constituencies to be announced. I'm definitely staying up tonight, as polls close at ten.]

And while I've spent some time rambling about the real election, it was actually the mock election which took up most of my time today. I went down to vote in the morning (yes, I voted for myself, and everyone else can just deal) having recieved a wonderfully uplifting text from hathy_col, which made me feel far more ready to face a day of outright hostility. It was, it really was - I had stuff thrown, shouted abuse, slurs on my parentage, ancestry and sexual preference, and when they couldn't think of anything else, passive-aggresion - but the votes did keep coming in. I couldn't go down at break because of a long, long meeting for the outgoing committee chairs, but by lunchtime, there were hundreds of people. I attempted to do some Chemistry revision without any success at all.

At four o'clock, I'd had enough. I went back to the library to see the polling station closed, nipped out for some chocolate, and when I got back they were counting votes. I wasn't allowed to help. I did consider going to bug the first-years in detention on the other side of the library, but then had a happy inspiration - I'd calculate the turnout. Twenty minutes later, I reckoned the Merchant Taylors' election turnout was 514 out of 670 (that's including about fifty staff), 76.7%. More than three quarters of people voted. I was impressed.

And then they finished counting the votes. The Conservatives won. Well, they would. Public school and all that jazz. Beth, the candidate, got 165 votes.

I got 105. And Lucy, Lib Dem candidate, got 104. I came second by one vote (Respect and the Greens were trailing hopelessly behind). I wasn't sure whether I should feel happy about it or not. Then someone gently reminded me that in 2001, four years ago, pre-Iraq, the mock election had Labour a miserable last place. I'd actually improved. And Mr Evans and Miss Hathaway and everyone else did their level best to cheer me up, telling me that I'd shaken people up. People, especially teachers (this according to our incredibly indiscreet returning officer) who'd never voted Labour in their lives had been considering it, because of me.

Tomorrow, I have to wear my rosette and smile as Beth gives her acceptance speech. I can manage that. And, really, I didn't do too badly, considering the demographic and outside circumstances.

So yay for democracy. And please, if you can, vote.

Comments

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking I may have to comment on my lj about the scary overheard conversation and the ensuing disturbance of Zara (she thinks we're crazee myself in particular dunno if you were there when I was wandering about with a labour sticker on my head)

[bekkypk.livejournal.com]

"Reconciliation in bonobos is a notoriously sexy affair." - this week's New Scientist

Thanks, I'd forgotton i have to pick up a copy tonight!
xx

[biascut.livejournal.com]

It was, it really was - I had stuff thrown, shouted abuse, slurs on my parentage, ancestry and sexual preference

Jesus fuck. I really hope none of this was in the hearing of any staff or from any of the higher up years.

[amchau.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on doing that well (we won't dwell on the nasty stuff)-- in our school election, the Monster Raving Loonies one with a decent majority.

[amchau.livejournal.com]

P.S. Is there any chance you could help out lysana, a friend of mine who wants a bottle of sea water from the Irish Sea shipped to America? Details here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/lysana/611330.html?nc=11&style=mine); I hope it's okay that I've mentioned your name to her.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I might be able to, but it's a flocked entry!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

And I'm sure they would have in ours, if they'd been allowed to stand!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely not. They don't have the guts for that.

[amchau.livejournal.com]

I've asked her to come over here. It seems easier than me trying to relay messages.

[amchau.livejournal.com]

Your school didn't let the Loonies stand? I know why ours didn't let the BNP stand ('BNP' spoils totalled at 19, which rather made the schools point for them), but to not let the loonies stand seems a shame-- and to prevent it from reflecting the real flavour of British politics.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

The argument against it was the same as the one against me standing as an Independent. "You'll win!"

[amchau.livejournal.com]

And it's so much better that they manipulate the system so that the Conservatives win, confirming that the big parties always win and that the individual has little effect on the result?

Oh, wait, from *thier* point of view it is.

[lysana.livejournal.com]

Hi, there.

This is the general concept. I'm wanting some water from the Irish Sea (about a single-serving soda bottle's worth should do fine). I'm willing to pay shipping costs, and you can count the cost of bottle and box in that if you wish. Think we could make arrangements?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I should think so. I don't know exactly what Am-Chau has told you, but I live about five minutes from the sea coast at a place called Formby Point, some miles north of Liverpool. I can take a plastic bottle down to the shore, maybe tomorrow or sometime this week, fill it with water from the incoming tide, seal and send it to you. Would that be acceptable?

Also, do you mind me asking what you want it for?

[lysana.livejournal.com]

It's for a ritual I'm putting together relating to Manannán mac Lir. I suspect you can understand why something from the Irish Sea would figure into it from there.

I'll email you separately with my shipping address. Thank you very much for your help.