Forthcoming COUNCIL Elections
MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS! - DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE! - TRANSFER YOUR VOTE TO ALL UNIONIST CANDIDATES!
UPRG loyalist awareness strategy
With the first of the forthcoming elections almost upon us and the various political parties starting to gear up their electoral machines The Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) has decided to launch their own program, which aims to maximise the overall Unionist vote and in turn attempt to politicise the Loyalist community.
The Ulster Political Research Group has developed a new initiative to try and educate the Loyalist community about the voting system used (the Single Transferable Vote – STV) and how they can best achieve a better representation of Unionist politicians. Originating in the East of the city, the new initiative was aimed at educating people in how best to vote; explaining the difference between the various types of electoral methods and the importance of transferring their vote fully amongst all Unionist candidates.
Robert Girvan, a spokesman for the group in East Belfast explained that “We drew up some basic sample counts to explain how the votes were distributed and then used real case studies to demonstrate what happens when the vote is fully utilised. We also highlighted how many votes are wasted by not being transferred between parties. It is only by educating our community on how their vote is a valuable resource that can effect change that many young Loyalists will be persuaded to take their anger into the political arena and off the streets.”
Whilst peaceful protest is a democratic right which the UPRG fully endorses the group as whole feel that there is much more to gain from voting than resorting to situations that can develop into violence.
A key point made by the group in the presentation related to the make-up in the Assembly and how in one ward, which is staunchly Unionist, there were over eleven thousand voters who failed to turn out and have their say. This they explained has had a detrimental impact that ultimately changed the decision surrounding the change in the flying of the Union Flag at Belfast City Hall. As John Howcroft, a spokesman for North Belfast UPRG stated “This one example should provide the motivation to rectify poor turnouts in the past as it can change the number of Unionist politicians in the Titanic ward which means that the Alliance Party will not have the same influence in that particular ward.”
A spokesman for the group in the South of the city, Colin Halliday, explained that “This is something that all Unionist political parties should be endorsing and we would urge them to now support our new campaign to transfer right down the line for all Unionist candidates.”
The new campaign will now be referred to simply as #RVT which stands for Register, Vote and Transfer and is in the process of being rolled out right across the city and further afield in the coming weeks!
REMEMBER TO TRANSFER YOUR VOTE TO ALL UNIONIST CANDIDATES!
ITS BETTER THAN WASTING OR LOSING IT