Considering spoiling my ballot

But spoiling your ballot is wasting your vote! (that those suffragettes risked their lives to secure for us)

I can’t understand why anyone would spoil their ballot.

Voting is one of the most effective forms of protest that we as general public have.

I’m not convinced by the argument that spoiling your paper is an equal form of protest.

I would always vote tactically to try to keep the worst candidates (Tories for me) out, at the very least.

I wish our voting system was the same as Australia. Its compulsory to vote but you can tick a box that says non of the above.

Completely agree OP. For the first time I ever there isn't any political party that I feel aligned to or that offers anything substantively better. I can't vote Tory but as a lifelong Labour voter I can't vote for them either.
Thoroughly disillusioned..

I will vote for the least worst lest the most worst get in.

Spoiling your ballot is pointless.

There was a brief mention on R4 this morning about a petition to add 'None of the above' as an option to all ballot papers. Could be interesting if it gains traction.

I did that with my last council vote.

I filled the ballot with things like, "respect my sex if you want my X' in alternate lines of purple and green.

I got my postal vote a couple of days ago and there is a Party of Women candidate. Her flyer has things like, "No woman has a penis" so she has got my vote.

@ForensicFlossy

Spoiled ballots are counted. Also where a vote is unclear the candidates get to see them in order to see if they can establish whether the voter intended to vote for a candidate.

https://votingcounts.org.uk/spoilt-ballot

Yes but however you vote, someone is going to get in. Find other ways to protest.

No you're wrong.

Spoiled paper is a protest vote.

It's better to go and spoil your ballot than not vote. Spoiled ballots are counted and you're making it clear there was no one for you to vote but you want to vote, not voting could be for a variety of reasons.

Itisallgoingtobeok
It’s like choosing whether you’d rather have Ebola or the Bubonic Plague.

Labour have f’d up just about everything, the Tory’s will do the same given the chance and the others sound vague, clueless and hopeless (so exactly like the big 2, but with no chance of getting elected.)

Like you, I feel politically homeless.

I want to vote, for all the reasons above, but wanted to see an independent that I thought would be like minded.

Tories will still get in here and I can’t abide that. So I spoilt my vote in the hope that many others will and hopefully they’ll be counted (that we’re all unhappy).

I've spoiled many polling cards in my time. I often write 'no suitable candidate or policy' across the paper. The fact people take the time to turn up and deliberately ruin their vote matters. I cared enough to plan my day around turning up. I'm also a swing voter and my vote is up for grabs if anyone appeals to me. It's a form of protest, and protesting is valid and worthy. Don;t let anyone say otherwise.

Yes!

I’m in an area where Labour all have the majority and have been wrecking our city for donkeys years, The waste of money, the corruption and unpleasant candidates for both councillors and MPs - there’s not a right one among them. I’m trying to find the least obnoxious and least worst in terms of what they say they are going to do, but bloody hell, I’m struggling. I don’t think spoiling your ballot paper will achieve anything other than providing an outlet for your anger. But if you want to do that, I’d totally understand .

Correct @Itisallgoingtobeok As I said, a spoiled vote is a much better idea than just not being faffed to show! Voting for someone is better of course, but not if you are not happy with ANY of the candidates/parties.

I can't believe someone who works at a polling station told you to just not go! Gobsmacked!

@Oblomov24 to my mind, it means that yes I can be bothered to turn up to the polling station, but that there is no-one on the ballot who deserves my vote.

I can't ignore that women died fighting for the right to vote, so turning up is important to me.

If you work at a polling station, (I am assuming you meant that and not policing station!) then you should know that what you have said is a load of tripe. Spoiling your vote is NOT pointless. It's much better than staying at home and not going! (Obviously voting is better than spoiling, but spoiling is better than nothing!)

What is spoiling your ballot, and how do you do it? - Voting Counts

Just don't vote that's what I'm doing .

I fully understand what you mean, but I think when it comes to local elections - the results of which often have FAR MORE impact on daily life than a GE - it's possible to look at the track record and separate it from the shit show of Westminster politics. Who has the best ideas for where you live? Have the incumbents done what they said they'd do, or do you need a change?

Don't waste your vote by spoiling it.

I know what you mean, I think I might just scribble all over mine with my crayons.