Spoilt votes - post them here so that the parties/papers can see them

Belittled and scolded...….. for goodness sake, get a grip. It's no one's job here to fit their opinions around your emotional neds.

Gutted that I couldn't take a photo as the only spare booth was in front of the staff there, but I did spoil it by writing "GRA reform betrays all female rights" then put the female symbol in each candidate's box.

Felt like fucking crying that I really had no other option: whoever wins, I would be ashamed if I'd helped put them there.

I would never have had the guts to do this without lurking and having my eyes well and truly opened on the FWR board over the last year or so.

Spoilt my ballot this afternoon, with a heavy heart but clear conscience 🖤

Woman = adult human female
Protect women's rights
No to self ID

Edith no one is belittling anyone’s experiences of counting ballots, although there have been a variety of posters talking about varying experiences of this, so it’s not like yours is gospel.

We aren’t spoiling ballots for those who count them, we just don’t care how that effects you. We are spoiling them (and I think we’ve all independently voiced the same primary reason) because we want to vote but have no one to vote for. So spoiling is a way of ticking ‘none of the above’ in other countries. We are spoiling them because we can not let candidates think we are endorsing self ID by voting for them (and that’s what a vote is in reality, it’s taken as meaning we agree with all the manifesto). If doing so is noticed by anyone, if contacting candidates and papers to point out our spoiled vote is up for grabs by whoever stands against self ID gets any attention from politicians or the public then that’s an added bonus.

Of course you could easily have gathered this by reading the full thread, as it’s been said repeatedly.

I feel belittled by the tone of several replies, about it all being curious, or telling; as if the only reason to point out the lack of utility of spoiling was to pursue some other agenda.

Now you might find it inconvenient that you are coming across like that (and yes of course I know that intention might not match effect), and I expect to be further scolded for having different reactions to posts.

And I'll have to leave you to it. By the time I'll be posting again, the world will have moved on.

(And yes I will be keeping an eye on the number of spoiled ballots and if there is any reporting at all on that figure)

Where has their experience been belittled? The reverse is true, actually. All the "oh you silly idiots, I would not give your ballot a second look" is clearly meant to belittle. Also somewhat worrying. Aren't they supposed to be neutral?

Most of us have clearly stated that we are spoiling our votes because we feel it's the right thing to do, not to get publicity for ourselves. I believe that it is inevitable that, if there is an upsurge in spoiled ballots, questions will be asked. However, if the parties can't be bothered to find out why many people bothered to turn out and yet didn't vote for a party, then more fool them.

WTF are you doing with our votes?

The attitude goes hand in hand with 'only people with the right political views are entitled to human rights'. A view beloved to a number of highly dodgy failed regimes in history.

I put my sticker on but it's raining here & my wet coat dripped on the corner & made the ink run. Didn't affect the words too much though.

DH voted Labour. I have it on good authority that our local Labour candidate is a good egg so I do hope she wins, I just couldn't bring myself to vote for the party.

Just got back from the polling station and I wavered between voting Tory and spoiling my ballot. In the end, and as I am in a safe Tory seat, I spoiled with a pre-made sticker saying no to self id and protect the rights of women and girls. My MP seems to be GC so my message is to the pathetic Lib Dem, Green and Labour candidates who hate women so much. They may read it, they may not but is it a vote that they could have won if they were not such witless woke fools.

Had this been a marginal seat I would have voted Tory without hesitation. And I have been a lifelong Labour voter.

There's a distinct whiff of "WTF are you doing with our votes? You are in group X and as you well know, votes of group X belong to party Y."

Now, which political party does that remind you of? Here's a clue: it's the authoritarian party.

EdithWeston - who has belittled their experience? Many of us have said - repeatedly - that we're not doing this to get noticed, but for reasons of conscience. I don't expect anyone to notice my paper, but I do want to be included in the turnout figures.

Women are turning out and intentionally proving they came to the ballot box, used that hard won democratic right, and protesting the representation on offer which intentionally belittles and excludes them.

There seems an overlaying theme from brand new posters on FWR today along the lines of protesting women getting pissed off instead of tolerating abuse nicely. There's a freedom programme for that: 'hold still, put me first and don't upset me when I need to abuse you' is something many FWR women know all about. And have dedicated much time and shared experience to helping other women recognise it and be strong enough to get the fuck away from it.

I will have Bloody Disappointing Woman on my t shirt thank you.

Speaking of the Suffragettes, just seen a man dressed up as one on FB talking about the feminist movement...

I think given the circumstances Pankhurst would understand and possibly spoilt her ballot too. She didn't suffer fools.

How about "Women: Disappointing MRAs for 200,000 Years"

It's amazing how angry people get when women have the audacity to disagree with them

Which women are you thinking of? Those with direct experience of the count who are pointing out that no-one will pay the slightest attention to how a vote is spoiled (only looking to check that it could nit possibly be interpreted as a valid vote)?

Because it is quite noticeable that there experience is repeatedly belittled

Another fucking seagull spectacularly missing the point. I don't want to vote Tory. I want to (and did) spoil my ballot. Some disingenuous posters are banging on about suffragettes and wasting our privilege, when their real agenda is, not to have us vote per se, but to guilt us into voting Labour or LibDem. So I am asking them, as you hate the Tories, would you rather I voted for them or spoiled my ballot? That question was not aimed at someone who hitherto has not posted on this thread.

Spoilt mine with "being a woman is not a feeling".

I know it probably won't make any difference but I am in a safe Labour seat and I can't bring myself to vote for anyone who will bring in self id.

I think it's so important that we get back to having commonly understood words to describe the sexes. I don't think that's too much to ask.

It's amazing how angry people get when women have the audacity to disagree with them

This thread has been a real eye opener. It’s been interesting seeing what feminist actually think of the GRA and main political parties.

Thank you.

Labour made the choice to pursue this policy, knowing full well how unpopular it is with women. If they cared about the poor, the disabled, the NHS, etc. they would have put aside the middle-class liberal identity politics and focused on getting women's votes.

Echoing this poster from earlier.

Spoiled my ballot but no privacy to take a pic.

I will, thanks

Hahahahaha I want one too @PJsatMidday

How about... "Disappointing woman - not even proper, actual socialism is worth sucking cock for. Ewww"

another scoldy one!

voting = good

got no further thoughts

I want a t-shirt with "Disappointing Woman" on!

"Disappointing Adult Human Female", surely

Though I'm sure some of our detractors would prefer us to be a "Disappointing Cis Woman". Or "Disappointing Cervix Haver". Optional accessory, scold's bridle.