IT was the kind of weather politicians pray for on election day to bring out the vote.

But in Poole, the majority of the electorate appeared content to enjoy the sunshine away from the polling stations.

Despite a steady start, the stream subsided to a trickle of voters as the day wore on.

It seemed even the national referendum on the alternative voting (AV) system had failed to capture the imagination of the Poole public.

But those who did find the time to visit the polling booths were repeating the same mantra – if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.

“I always think back to the suffragettes,” said Mollie Lawrence, casting her vote in Poole Park.

“I don’t think anyone should waste their vote.”

Pensioner Charles Davies said it was the electorate’s duty to vote: “If you don’t, when things go wrong, you’ve no right to say anything.”

Howard Ellis, who visited the polling station at the Methodist church off Poole High Street, said people should take pride in where they live.

“I want people in charge who live in Poole and care about it,” he said.

Like many who did actually turn out to vote, Mr Ellis also had a strong opinion on the AV referendum.

“It seems the only people who want it are those who are going to benefit from it,” he said.

“As far as I can see, it’s just going to cost an awful lot of money.”

However, Phil Manning ticked the Yes box on his referendum paper at the St James church hall on Thames Street.

“Candidates have been winning a large number of votes but not getting any representation,” he said.

“I think they should have gone further and gone for full proportional representation, but this is the best we’re going to get at the moment.”

But the general mood of the electorate was probably best summed up by Anna-Marie Hawkins, who also cast her vote in Thames Street.

“I’ve voted because I know I should, but I don’t see any sense in it,” she said.

“It won’t change anything.”