Political polls

**dahamsta** · 10/05/2007, 12:00 PM

Should these polls be public, i.e. should you be able to see who voted for who?

Election ballots are private in nature, but Foot.ie is a discussion forum. A private poll is probably more representative of what will happen in a real election - albeit with an obvious skew - but personally I think people should defend their votes on a discussion forum.

Thoughts?

adam

**kingdom hoop** · 10/05/2007, 12:20 PM

Good idea. I'm not sure though. If people want to defend who they voted for then they can still do so. But I don't think there is a need to see who everyone voted for as it might stop the timid amongst us from voting thereby reducing the accuracy of the poll.

On the other hand if it were public it might make people think about their vote a bit more so that they can then justify it if needs be. Rather than just willy-nilly picking one. Fuk it, lets go for the public one. Elections are meant to be contentious! Once people don't carry grudges. (funny, that's pretty much what my signature says!!)

**Dodge** · 10/05/2007, 12:25 PM

Don't mind if its public but wouldn't want a situation where somebody would be picked on for voting PD or something like that. Don't see why they would have to justify themselves to us

(Picked them as they're the party I'm least likely to vote for)

**BohsPartisan** · 10/05/2007, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

wouldn't want a situation where somebody would be picked on for voting PD or something like that.

He doesn't get picked on on thebohs.com forum.

**Ringo** · 10/05/2007, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Don't mind if its public but wouldn't want a situation where somebody would be picked on for voting PD or something like that. Don't see why they would have to justify themselves to us

(Picked them as they're the party I'm least likely to vote for)

can't believe you vote for the PD's

**Dodge** · 10/05/2007, 1:10 PM

Hmmmm

**Erstwhile Bóz** · 10/05/2007, 1:16 PM

If you want people to defend their choices then you must scrap the results of the private poll and start another one, declaring it an open ballot.

People cannot be expected to "defend their votes" if those votes were cast in private.

(Just for the record, as I now know that the skirt of anonymity is velcroed and might well end up being whipped off, Bucks Fizz-like, to reveal my own shrivelled vote: I have no problem with my choice, even though it was mostly to boost that party's numbers for the crack on the thread and in reality they'd only get my number 3 or 4 ...

)

I promise to vote the same way in any new and openly-declared-to-be-open poll on any vote-discussion thread.

**John83** · 10/05/2007, 1:21 PM

I don't mind either way myself, but I'd imagine more people vote in a private poll, and there's nothing stopping them from stating their opinion in the thread if they want to debate it.

**beautifulrock** · 10/05/2007, 4:39 PM

well voted here and happy to discuss my option but do not feel the need to justify. However, would be interested in the swing here if we had an open poll and if the more "vocal" posters actually influence the thoughts of others.