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

maiden, you could look at it as a sort of review. Like on Amazon, or Tripadvisor. It's up to the political parties whether they listen and learn, just as it is for restaurants that get one star reviews for having rude staff and dishing up cold food.

I didn't spoil My vote in the hope that it would send a huge message. I spoilt my vote for ME because I cannot in all good consciousness vote for any party that treats women so poorly

I marked my X in the right place, and I wrote a little note on the bottom.

Whichever way the counters decide to count that, my conscience is clear.

If you don’t want this to be news then why are you spoiling your paper?

Can you not read? It is really tedious having to explain this over and over. You clearly just enjoy hectoring.

I’ll be using the vote they fought for later to try and oust my current MP who is anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage, pro-brexit

And who would you vote for if every single candidate in your constituency had the same stance? Because that is what many of us are dealing with, but our hardline is women’s rights. There is absolutely no way I can vote for someone who is not going to uphold women’s sex based rights and throw us under a bus instead. Simple as that. I don’t care who does or doesn’t see my spoiled paper.

God s/he really doesn't get it.

If one person sees my ballot and starts to wonder what the fuck is going on - that will do me. That's how it spreads - out into the sunshine.

Just - these days the youth appear to consider political activism putting on some ‘feminist’ slogan shirt, trotting along time pride to have a big party (as opposed to accompany lesbian friends because they were scared for their fucking lives if there weren’t enough of us), doing ‘pride make up’ (see reddit mua) and posting useless empty sound bites on social media. Oh yeah and yelling at all the meany women to shut the fuck up.

(No offence to any one younger who actually engages, nor am I claiming to be the most politically active women either. Just case a disclaimer is needed with all the random woke bros popping in).

If you don’t want this to be news then why are you spoiling your paper?

If this isn’t news then who is going to pay attention and adapt their party policy in response?

If you don’t want this to be news then how exactly are you giving a voice to women?

My MP and I are on first name terms I contact her so much.
She agrees - and does nothing.

if you think this is going to be a big story and get you the coverage you need in this particular election your deluded.

If I spoil my ballot later it will be because I think it’s the right thing to do. Not because I want the media to pick up a story.

If you’d read this thread you’ll have seen that I am your natural ally - a “Tories out at all costs” voter with a disabled DH aware from first hand experience exactly what NHS and benefit cuts are doing to the vulnerable. But with every “you naughty wasteful woman” post here, I become more determined to spoil my paper anyway, so you’re having the exact opposite effect to the one you want.

It's called integrity, Hope & co.

Virtually everyone who is active the feminist board has written and spoken to their MPs. And more. Repeatedly

Yep. And been ignored too

and if you think this is going to be a big story and get you the
coverage you need in this particular election your deluded
Why do you care?
I dont want to be in the news, I want women to have a voice over who we share our spaces with, including jails, refuges and changing rooms among other spaces.

If everyone that spoilt their paper had emailed local MPs/newspapers to voice their opinions then it would of had a much bigger impact. I’m sure some did so not having a go at the ones that have, obviously.

Virtually everyone who is active the feminist board has written and spoken to their MPs. And more. Repeatedly.

And I haven't spoilt my ballot to "get noticed" or in the belief that the press would pick up on it. I did it because it was the only thing that I could square with my conscience. You don't get to commandeer that. We live in a democracy and we can use our ballot paper as we see fit.

hopeforthemen You have told people how to use their vote.
Out of order.

I spoiled, only wrote woman =adult human female. Didnt take a pic I was the only one in at the time. I've had no door knockers, no email replies, no letters, no phone calls. Nothing. No answer to my questions about making things better for women. I expect they want us to keep waiting while the "important " stuff is done, again. Well I'm fucked off with waiting. I'm 50 years old, when will it be womens turn.

What is same sex marriage if men claim they are lesbians by the way?

I don’t want to silence your views btw. I actually agree with them. I just disagree with your means of achieving them b

🤣 it doesn’t matter who anyone votes for or who I vote for. Spoil your papers if you want but it won’t make a difference because they don’t read them or care.

If everyone that spoilt their paper had emailed local MPs/newspapers to voice their opinions then it would of had a much bigger impact. I’m sure some did so not having a go at the ones that have, obviously.

Not sure what’s the problem in pointing out that something won’t actually accomplish anything. I spoilt my paper 10 years ago and nothing changed (surprise surprise).

And it’s not patronising shit I’m just giving a different perspective. That is allowed last time I checked.

Also I have never told anyone who to vote for on this thread.

Well, I'll personally be raising a glass of homemade elderflower wine (thanks MIL!) to all my fellow ballot spoilers this evening!
Cheers!!

No I will not piss off. I think this is an utterly ridiculous form of protest and if you think this is going to be a big story and get you the coverage you need in this particular election your deluded.

You can try and convince yourself you are the new suffragettes if you like but I’ll be using the vote they fought for later to try and oust my current MP who is anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage, pro-brexit and is a member of political party that has strong paramilitary links. Enjoy drawing your pretty pictures.

Yes - this is a 'big' issue. Massive. Plus the silencing of dissenting views that has become apparent is scary in many other ways. People losing their jobs - getting visits from the police - what will they choose to do this about next?
My husband has just come back. Spoiled his ballot in support of us!
Here is mine:

No picture, but I spoiled my ballot by crossing through the boxes and writing "NONE". At the top I put "NO to SELF ID" and at the bottom I wrote "SEX NOT GENDER". I was fuming as I did so having just had an exchange with a Labour party guy in the foyer who was completely lovely and hopelessly out of synch. I told him Corbyn had stated that TWAW and he told me he was a biologist and a"chromosome was a chromosome" so was completely in agreement with the inability to change sex. I told him to come onto Mumsnet and do some research and he told me he didn't know he was allowed! Bless him! So on the one hand I felt really cross with him for being out of touch and on the other sorry because he's exactly the kind of person the Labour party needs and I respected how he listened and wanted to pass on my message to the party

Gosh the breathtaking arrogance of assuming that we're not doing anything

Quite!

I suspect youthful idealism and passion, and/or a rather quaint view of who posts on Mumsnet.