Meenzer

Having said that, I don't have a problem with a rule whereby the queue gets cut off at 10pm and anyone who's there still gets to vote. As long as the rules are applied consistently, which they doesn't seem to be. Or more to the point, there don't seem to actually be any rules. Did nobody think of this?

Don't buy it, and not just because I'm a Lib Dem - I'm still confident they'll be in the high 70s at the end of it all. The question is whether the "missing seats" in the exit poll are LD-Con marginals that the poll has given to Con, or LD-Lab marginals that the poll has given to Lab... if it's the latter, we're still looking at PM Cameron one way or another.

Speaking of endless streams, are you still going to Nashville in a few weeks? If so, bring a canoe... It's not looking pretty, is it? The festival organisers have been sending out reassuring e-mails, so fingers crossed, even if the venues are under several feet of water at the minute...

What are you, the head of an Asian household with control over a batch of postal votes?

A propos of nothing, I've just noticed that the UKIP candidate in Chelsea and Fulham lives in France.

Does he really start by asking "How many of yous are robbers?" What was he expecting, a hug and a kiss?

How did we have election campaigns before the internet?

I think it could be a minority government for as long as it wants to be, as long as enough opposition MPs are voting in favour of what they're after. So you could end up with, say, the Lib Dems not in an official coalition but agreeing to vote for most of the Tories' plans. Can't really see it surviving for long, though, which is why everyone assumes there'd be another election in that case.

Are you talking about your own constiutency or nationally Alex? According to the BBC, the national 2005 vote share was: Labour: 36.1% Tory: 33.2% Lib Dem: 22.6% Others: 8% The leaflet was specifically on about the constituency result in 2005, as were the actual figures I mention. I mean, I appreciate there'll be propanganda in these things but it's bit beyond that imo. Aye, the Lib Dems are the masters of playing the "only we can beat X here!" card by using figures from whatever recent election/council seat breakdown suits their argument - but at least they do use the actual figures.

"Injured" according to Sky. Don't think it'll benefit UKIP nationally, but it's another interesting layer on the Farage vs. the Speaker clash in Buckingham...

It starts at 9, so I might watch the first hour, especially if the Come Dine With Me bit is on then. After that it's all about the exit polls and some hot Dimbleby action until dawn, though.

Mind, you lucky people have got UKIP, BNP and National Front candidates to choose from. Every additional vote for another party could cost them their deposit.

Unless it's restricted to the UK. It wasn't in 2005, though. I was in Germany for the 2001 election too, in an internet-free zone, and they had through-the-night coverage on a couple of the German news channels. Obviously not in the same detail or with the same speed as the Beeb, though.

Whereas I messed up the second one because I thought "hang on, we've had this one already, I mustn't have pressed Submit properly" and put in the same answer again. Actually reading the question > assuming technology is rubbish.

I've got a friend, my age, who's never voted or registered to vote and has a long and well-reasoned argument for doing so. Which we've been through many times after a few drinks. I may not agree with him, but at least I respect the fact that he's thought about it and come to a conclusion that works for him. I just can't be doing with people who dismiss going to vote through sheer apathy or because "politics is shit/boring" without further consideration.

That's the way to do it. Meanwhile:

I'm often on here at stupid o'clock, but there's far less hawt overnight action than there used to be. Trying to get some decent sleep in this week, though, as Thursday night will inevitably be an overnighter in front of t' telly. Can't resist any live programme that culminates in an endless stream of results.

Can't disagree with any of that. Whisper it quietly, but I reckon she could end up one of Labour's rising stars. Whatever the next generation of Blair's Babes ends up being. (Miliband's Minions?)

Then look at Eric Pickles talking for 30 seconds and realise you'll still never vote Tory.

Classy.

I may be a last-minute floating voter after all...

South. So Bridget's count should be live on telly. (I said count.)

Naah, tactical voting makes perfect sense in constituencies where the party in question can't feasibly win. I suspect most potential Lib Dem voters believe in progressive politics and will be most concerned with keeping the tories out. More importantly though, the Conservatives still believe in heriditary peerage and are against electoral reform on any terms. The Lib Dems realistically need a hung parliament and a coalition with Labour for electoral reform to happen. Tell all that to the Toontastic Labour candidate (forgets her name) who has probably been working her ass off for the last year to get elected and now finds her own bosses asking voters to vote against her. Aye, because Houghton and Sunderland South is a Lib-Con marginal. Did you actually read the article?

The volcano's back, Nashville's under ten feet of water and there are mysterious terrorist plots in New York. Fate appears to be targeting next month's trip to the States quite specifically.

It's been a while since we've seen an alcohol-fuelled Meenzer rant btw... Election night. Nailed on.