Results from the World's First Cross-Border Election: UK 2010

The results are in. After a month of workshops, discussions and debates in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ghana - the people have spoken. What only remains now, is for you to cast their vote to make the first cross-border election complete. If you haven't pledged your vote, you still can - for a few more hours until 1600.

If you have pledged your vote, you'll receive a text message at 1830 UK time today, saying which party to vote for.

Breakdown: Afghanistan (116 Labour, 135 LibDem, 114 Conservative). Bangladesh (72 Labour, 567 LibDem, 27 Conservative, Spoil 7). Ghana (135 Labour, 126 LibDem, 99 Conservative, Spoil 17). Total ABG voters: 1419. Total UK people pledged their votes: 2143. All UK participants were emailed asking if they wanted to be directly paired, the rest were sent text messages on May 5th based on the proportions above as explained here.

Pictures from the world vote

Lib Dem, Labour and Tory voters in Afghanistan!

Quotes from global voters

"It was hard for me to decide how to vote. I am very critical of the way that Gordon Brown has failed to engage with the Afghan people. We feel very excluded from the process of decision-making, with leaders around the world engaging on our behalf. For me the Liberal Democrats offered the most hope of a new different relationship between the Afghan people and the UK. This is a great movement and I am so proud to be part of it."

Sabrina Saqeb. Member of Parliament, Afghanistan.

"We've just discovered oil in Ghana and we'll need good partners to help us develop it. We need international partners that invest in Ghanaians' capacity to develop ourselves - we don't want to go the way of Nigeria with the oil curse. Under Labour DFID has a good record in Ghana."

Emmanuel Edudzie. Youth worker, Ghana.

"I voted for the Liberal Democrats because of their pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050. For many Bangladeshis - particularly the climate migrants - the policies of countries like the UK on climate change are very important."

Atique Chowdhury. Human rights activist and climate migrant, Bangladesh.

"For me, it was the key that the Liberal Democrats did not support the war in Iraq. My least favourite party is the Conservatives. Conservative policies, including those outside the UK, always have a very negative stand. They say, 'We cannot let the immigrants in so easily, and we cannot have their goods in our markets so easily. We must be hard core realists. Personally I support liberalism rather than realism. Liberalism can bring peace, solidarity and brotherhood. We have been fighting for these ideas for a long time - since the French Revolution, the Revolution of Islam and the Buddha Revolution. I think that realism, like Machiavellianism, is no good."

Muttaki Bin Kamal. Student of International Relations, Bangladesh.

Comments

Jill Ross on Thursday, 6 May @ 6.14 pm (UK time)

I should be very interested to know roughly how many people pledged their vote and roughly how many people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ghana voted. The two figures can't have been the same, so I'm wondering how you reconciled the two?
I agree with George Monbiot that this is a brilliant initiative and look forward to hearing what happens next. What did you think of Monbiot's suggestion that the new movements should come together to decide what to do in the event of an unfair outcome of this election?

admin on Tuesday, 11 May @ 3.21 pm (UK time)

Hey Jill,

The figures are below the charts at the top of the page - the votes were distributed proportionally, as we said we'd do if we didn't get the same numbers on both sides.

We're definitely keen to work with other groups, for what Monbiot calls the UK's colour revolution. The other groups are all focused on PR in the UK - which we think is important - but we also think we should have PR in international issues too!

Anonymous on Wednesday, 5 May @ 2.41 pm (UK time)

Can we have a breakdown of numbers of votes as well as percentages please? I'd like to see what the turnout was in each country.

Alison on Wednesday, 5 May @ 1.37 pm (UK time)

I want a LibDem text too! Looking at the results, I'm pretty sure I won't get a Tory text, and that would be my worst nightmare. I'm really glad to be part of this but I don't know how I'd actually manage to put an X next to a Tory:p

Jane on Thursday, 6 May @ 11.52 am (UK time)

My worst nightmare!!! I got a Tory text from Afghanistan:-( Now I'm totally conflicted, I agreed to give my vote but I really don't know if I can put that X in the Tory box. Does anyone else have a crisis of principles???

James on Thursday, 6 May @ 4.22 pm (UK time)

If this exercise is to have any legitimacy at all you MUST vote the way your text voter asks. You're meant to be giving up your power to someone who has less than you and needs it more. I hate the Tories too, but it has absolutely nothing to do with this. Did you see the link that came up on here last week with all the people from Bangladesh who refused to take part because the UK never keeps its promises? Do you want to continue that legacy?

Cathy on Saturday, 8 May @ 8.51 pm (UK time)

Yes, I too, unfortunately, got a Tory voter from Afghanistan, but I agree with James. I had committed my vote to someone else and would have to follow their decision.

John on Wednesday, 5 May @ 10.30 am (UK time)

Hope I get a libdem text!