I spotted this and thought what a shame. I obviously want people to vote for me when I stand for the council but even more important is that people can vote at all!
I am a sad individual and really like being able to vote, it reminds me of the struggle over the centuries to get the vote for everyone, I always think of the pictures of suffragettes going to the polling station when I vote. We’re lucky to be taught about it in school in history lessons, but there are many people even today in countries around the world who don’t have the right to vote. At least in this country if you don’t like your representatives you can vote for someone else!
It seems a pity to miss out just because you don’t return the form. You’ve got until the end of the week to do it if you haven’t yet.
There's nothing sad about voting.
Simply having the ability to make decisions for onesself or at least take part in the decision-making process is what woke me up to democracy.
On the first election day I remember as a 6-yr-old I asked my retired neighbour over the garden fence what was happening – he explained it all to me but said that he had never voted because he grew up in a tied house and never wanted to vote the way his landlord or anyone else told him he should.
I asked him if it was secret how they would ever find out and if they couldn't know then there was nothing anyone could do about it anyway.
When he came back a while later he had the biggest smile I've ever seen on anybody's face (and eating an ice cream) – it's an abiding memory. Not the slightest bit sad.
Glad I'm not the only one – your story brought a smile to my face 😉