X X X X

I've done my democratic duty and marked the two ballot papers with the requisite four X's, one for the Parliamentary candidate of my choice and three for the candidates I wish to see elected to represent my ward in the local council.

To the best of my belief, I have always exercised my right to vote in both Parliamentary and local elections - although, having said that, there might have been one occasion when I just never made it to the polling station.  I can understand people not voting on the grounds that (a) the person they would vote for has only a snowball's chance in hell of being elected or (b) they would really prefer that none of the candidates were elected - or at least, that it makes little difference who is elected.  I can understand people thinking that way, but I do believe they are misguided.  We have the hard-won freedom to take part in (for the most part) open and fair elections, unlike people in so many parts of the world, and it is, to my way of thinking, an abdication of responsibility not to exercise that freedom.  On the other hand, I would not wish to see it become law that everybody must vote.  I seem to recall reading that that is the case somewhere: Australia, perhaps?  If it were the law, I would probably spoil my ballot paper out of sheer bloody-mindedness!