Election Day

I spent yesterday morning and early afternoon leafletting the polling station centred on Earlsdon Methodist Church Hall. Then, John helped me do the polling station centred on Stivichall Primary (A45/Kenilworth Road area). The idea was to drop reminders off at houses which we had canvassed as yes/undecided, or they hadn't been in when we originally called. I'm shattered!

I think that there are a number of organisational factors that will help us this year: a better leaflet, a photo that looks like me (ha ha), being the first leaflet to people's houses, and reminding undecided voters in this way. More broadly, I talked with one woman as she washed her car last night, and she used the phrase, "carbon footprint", and that wouldn't have happened last year on the doorstep. The environmental coverage in the Echo throughout the year (and front-page stories in broadsheets every other day) has led to a broader environmental awareness. Plus, I've talked with a number of people who have said, "oh, I've seen your letters in the Telegraph."

I've tried to use a blog, in last year's election, and since July 2006 with this one, to outline how we would use our first seat on Coventry City Council to introduce different policies, put issues on the agenda, and propose resolutions that other parties would not.

The important thing about election day is to vote for a party whose policies you believe in. It's rather frustrating to hear on the doorstep that I disagree with these four key policies of "my" party, but I'm going to vote for them out of "habit." Vote for a party whose policies you want to see extended and deepened.Vote in a positive way today, whether you are voting in Earlsdon for the Green Party, or for the Tories, Labour or the Lib Dems.