Persuade me to vote - update

It's just two days to election time. Have you managed to change the minds of our three potential voters who are planning to avoid the polling station?

Vote 2004: Full coverage

Last week Carol Cooke, Martin Willoughby and Steve McQuillan set out their reasons for not voting on "Super Thursday" - when votes are cast for local council, European parliament and London mayoral and assembly elections.

The fear in many quarters is that there will be another low turnout. With this in mind, we asked you to try to change their intentions. The e-mail response was overwhelming.

Here are some of your arguments and their responses.

CAROL COOKE

Age: 25
Occupation: Administrator
Lives in: Beccles, Suffolk

Carol says despite the Suffragettes' fight to get women the vote, politics doesn't feel relevant to her. She also feels left in the dark about what's been achieved in her area.

• Evelyn: "You should spoil your paper rather than not vote, which allows you to express your dissatisfaction."
  Carol's response: "This is a way to let the government know I'm not happy about the state of the nation. If enough people did this, would the government take notice?"

• Lorraine Kirby: "Local government is a good introduction to politics. It's easier to identify with the candidate promising a zebra crossing or better refuse collection than it is to get to grips with national issues. Consult your council's website as a first step. And councillors usually respond well to questions. Get to know the issues and the personalities, and voting will become more relevant."
  Carol's response: "This could be a way to get involved, and perhaps it would make politics relevant to me again. But I feel that the way policy information is put across needs to be updated. How many people turn over when a party political broadcast comes on? How many take notice of leaflets through the door?"

• Rhiannon Todd: "Political decisions shape every aspect of our lives, from the price of a vodka and coke to retirement age. If you've been to school, visited the doctor or claimed any kind of benefit, then you've been affected by politics. How can this not be relevant?"
  Carol's response: "The system alienates those like me who don't really understand how things work for us, or see the whole picture - this just highlights that."

Persuaded? "I will have a look at who I can vote for in my area and what they intend to do. If I'm still unsure on the day, I will do as Evelyn suggested and spoil the ballot."

MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Age: 41
Occupation: Computer programmer
Lives in: Stevenage, Hertfordshire

Martin says he doesn't vote because he doesn't like the options available, and because he thinks local councils have few powers anyway. He also feels that the current system means only the big parties have a chance of gaining power.

• Ian: "Would you vote if a 'none of the above' box was added to ballot papers?"
  Martin's response: "Every time."

• Jeremy Miles: "By not voting, you're saying you don't care which party gets in. Fringe parties rely on people not voting, and getting their own supporters out. If you don't vote, you're voting for a party you object to."
  Martin's response: "That still leaves me in a quandary. If I vote against a party I don't like, it's a vote for a party which will then use my unwilling vote to proclaim that I've given them a mandate."

• Barry Tregear: "There are real choices with the Greens, Respect and UKIP all offering different manifestos to the big three - and with proportional representation in the European elections, they can win seats as well."
  Martin's response: "This misses the point of elections. We're meant to elect people to pursue good government, not people who are focused on a single issue. These groups should lobby governments - not become the government."

Persuaded? "Not in the locals, but I might vote in the Europeans, because I'm not keen on the fringe candidates. The only way to get me out every time is full PR and a 'none of the above' box."

STEVE MCQUILLAN

Age: 26
Occupation: Computer programmer
Lives in: The Wirral, Merseyside

Steve says he lost faith in the system in the 1980s, but he wants to feel his vote will make a difference. And he thinks voters cast ballots in the same way they support football teams - they do as they've always done.

• Craig Haffey: "As a voter, the politicians care about you - at least for pragmatic reasons - and will mould policy around what you care about. It is precisely as a non-voter that your voice remains unheard and of little interest."
  Steve's response: "Caring about my vote for pragmatic reasons isn't good enough, and the policy moulding outlined in party manifestos is vague and confusing at best."

• Khaled Shivji: "You said you didn't like the Tories - but they got into power because of apathy - if just a few percent more of the population voted, the results would have been different."
  Steve's response: "The system is a three horse race; no-one is empowered. It's an illusion to make people believe they can make a difference."

• Andrea: "If you don't vote, you forfeit the right to complain. You should no longer be allowed to utter one word of discontent about taxes, laws, war and politics."
  Steve's response: "How many people wanted the Iraqi war? How many people want single fathers to have equal rights? An individual must feel he can make a difference, but regardless of how you vote, the result is the same."

Persuaded? "I've never said I will not vote. I will vote but only when I feel I can personally make a real difference, when the system becomes more interactive and honest."

OVER TO YOU

It's not too late - you could still try and persuade our three guinea pigs. Add your comments, making sure you indicate which non-voter you are trying to convince.

The most compelling argument I've heard to vote is decisions are made by those who turn up. How many Democrats in Florida who weren't enthralled by Al Gore in 2000 now wish they had voted? If the number is greater than a couple of hundred, the US would have a different president.
Lee Donaghy, UK

The common thread is that no matter who wins nothing changes when, in fact, there have been quite clear policy differences during the recent Conservative and Labour rule. So despite the cynicism expressed, they should at least recognise that even if they are not in 100% agreement with any one party, any change of direction could affect their interests for good or ill. Why let others decide it for them?
John Cahill, UK

Carol, politics is like anything, you have to do some work to get something back from it - just as you can't watch football without knowing the rules. The BBC website is a good place to start. Listen, learn, and discuss what you don't like about something.
Sy, UK

Steve, mobilised protest votes can make a vast difference - look at the Spanish election, where the government was overthrown. You need to decide which issues matter to you, and how firm the commitment of the main parties are towards your point of view. Make them earn your vote and ensure that they keep their promises.
Andy Millward, UK

Apathy's not the answer, making trouble is. That can be going along to a council meeting, writing to your councillor or MP, joining a local political party or pressure group, expressing your views when candidates come canvassing and of course exercising your right vote. Any kind of legal trouble that demands a response from an elected representative or aspiring candidate is good trouble.
Melina Gart, UK

Steve, you're wrong about empowerment: from the Wirral council website I can see that in 2002, in one ward, you could've changed the outcome by convincing 55 people to vote. There were three other wards where you needed fewer than 250. It wouldn't take much effort to achieve that.
Simon Garratt, UK

How would you all feel if your right to vote was taken away? If this idea bothers you, you should vote.
Zoe, UK

I've spent much of the past 10 years working with organisations in Serbia, so have seen the results and been personally affected by the problems of living in a dictatorship. And perhaps English people are too smug about voting; I am of Irish extraction and we've in the past been deprived of our right to vote and to have a democratic government. Wake up and exercise the rights which many died to obtain.
Tony O'Rourke, Scotland

The worst argument for not voting is that you do not make a difference - this is not true. A high turnout is vital for democracy, not because one person's vote will necessarily swing the result but because apathy provides room for extremists to make ground. Politicians DO make a difference, bad as well as good - we only have to look at the election of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s to see that.
DHT, London

Steve and Martin, you both seem to object to the way your vote is counted. As far as I'm aware, the Lib Dems are still committed to PR. So, maybe in the next general election, you should vote for them. Then the next time local or European elections come along, the system will suit you more.
Phil Welch, UK

Martin, it's only the silent majorities' fault if only the bigger parties achieve power. You must have opinions regarding GM crops, the war in Iraq, Europe and taxes amongst many other things. If everybody with these apathetic feelings took an active interest in politics, we might get an interesting political environment again and not just the same three horse race.
Laurance, UK