Some of my friends in the UK didn’t vote today in the European Parliament elections. Quite a few of them say they are so disillusioned with politics, why bother. Others say they have no interest in what’s going on in Brussels.

Well, that’s a shame but frankly, it’s their loss. My simple view is that if you don’t vote, don’t expect to be taken seriously when you voice an opinion. No vote, no real influence.

At lunchtime, my wife and I walked to our local polling station and voted. The ballot paper was huge – like a concertina, leading to complaints by some political parties – but simple enough to use – just mark ‘X’ against your choice of party.

The voting continues around the European Union until Sunday so we’ll know the results by Monday.

So we’ve done our bit for democracy today. I recorded some comments in an Audioboo which includes some thoughts regarding identity (no one asks you to prove who you are when you get to the polling station) and understanding what the different parties stand for in the EU.

Did you / will you vote?

Related post:

• Making the European elections visible