Huffy Flounce

So I have just played my part in the democratic process. Vote cast. Now, we wait.

The polling station was packed. Big queues. Much busier than last time. Looks like people are waking up!

It's pretty late in the day for people to be waking up.

Dalty wrote:They are as left as they come and as partisan as you can get.

Heh, I kind of wondered. Do they do exit polling there? Any word on where things are trending thus far?

The Swollen Goiter of God wrote:It's pretty late in the day for people to be waking up.

Everyone in England works overnight shifts, Goiter! C'mon. This is well known.

They do exit polling. But they are classed as wildly unreliable. The sense of mischief by telling the hopeful looking person with the clipboard that you voted for the Monster Raving Loony Party is too much to resist.

I am genuinely terrified at the potential outcome of this election as Greece and France and Italy show where we could end up if Miliband carries through on his threats.

Also worth mentioning it is illegal to publish an exit poll result until after the polls have closed. So we won't know until 10pm how they shape up.

God, you guys do everything right in your election process. I'm insanely jealous.

What's the point of exit polling though if not to publish them before the polls close? Seems a pointless exercise otherwise.

Because there are very strict controls over what you can and can't do. You must decide to vote and who to vote for by yourself. If there are a load of generally apathetic voters sitting at home and not voting then they publish an exit poll at 7pm that shows Labout are 10 points ahead then that might unduly influence the election by making the apathetic who had decided not to vote (their choice) go to the polling station and vote for somebody else.

You can't campaign in or around a polling station, you can't try and tell anyone else how to vote in a polling station etc. etc. so if you were there with, for instance, your brother and he says "You know, I really don't know who to vote for!" then you are not allowed to say "I think you should vote Tory." inside a polling station. You must be free from interference and influence when you vote.

*sighs* The first paragraph is exactly why Democrats stayed home in November this year. Well...a large part of it.

Oh! And I think I just figured out why they do exit polling. Come to think of it, I remember this from the Scotland vote last fall. The second the polls close, TV stations can then say "Oh our exit polling projects Labour with ____ seats and the Tories with ____ seats."

Got it. Carry on.

Back in 1992 the polls all said Labour majority or at best for the Conservatives a hung parliament so therefore probably Labour in a coalition with somebody.

In the event John Major was re-elected for the Conservatives.

The polls for the Scottish vote were also a lot closer than the eventual result.

I guess we'll see at some point tomorrow morning.

I'll probably know before you!

Tell you what, if the Tories win, I'll send you the long awaited video of me doing The Dance of a Thousand Goiters

If they lose, I'll send the never before promised video of me doing The Dance of a Thousand Depressed Goiters.

Either way, what an email to wake up to!

Either of those dances will never see the the light of day and you know it!

Well not with that level of sass!

How dare you! I like my software very much in my possession!!

Adam54 wrote:Tell you what, if the Tories win, I'll send you the long awaited video of me doing The Dance of a Thousand Goiters.

"Tell you what: we come back and everyone's slaughtered, I owe you a Coke."

Polls close in 45 minutes.

I remember watching a live stream of what I believe was the BBC in 2010 as results came in, Dalty. Do you know if there's a place online where I can do the same this year?

Probably the same place. Or Sky News.

First exit polls are very bad for Labour but show no majority for the Conservatives.

Flipping back between Sky, BBC and ITV. Damn - big meeting at work tomorrow, can't be up too late but want to watch this. It's always addictive.

First result due in about 5 minutes.

Oh, and a lot of local (council) elections tonight as well.

Labour saying exit poll results should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. Fear they are correct.

First result coming in now.....