Local elections how to spoil ballot?

Well I always used to vote Green if there wasn’t a decent Labour or Lib Dem to vote for so that the other parties would think the environment matters to people but they’re more interested in gender woo woo now so they’re out

LIke @ArabellaScott I always vote, even if it is for the least worst candidate. If only to feel I can criticise from the position of having taken part. In the tiniest hope that the smaller the majority, the possibility they might take some interest in local issues and actually do something worthwhile.

Got it!

www.votenone.org.uk/protest_votes_count.html

Personally I will always vote, even for the least worst candidate. But if you really feel you want to spoil your vote, the above advice seemed sound to me.

There's a website on how to effectively spoil your ballot ... oh, what was it called ....

Just spotted this thread: if you’re going to spoil your ballot with a picture (I believe that a cock and balls is traditional) make sure it isn’t entirely contained in one candidate’s box because otherwise it’ll be counted for them. There is some interesting case law on this.

Spoilt ballot papers? Pointless, just don't bother voting. Nobody will even read or be remotely interested in what you write.

My daughter was fiercely political from a young age, my dp was happy to vote on her behalf when she was a younger teen.

Why not offer your vote to someone who isn't legally able to vote but would love to have the opportunity to do so?

@SushiGo I do totally get what you mean and I would have agreed with you wholeheartedly until very recently but my Labour candidate is the clp women’s officer only because the previous women’s officer resigned when she wasn’t even allowed to raise a discussion about women’s single sex rights being impacted by self id. I can’t bring myself to vote conservative so I’d rather at least make a protest vote than not even turn up. I’m absolutely gutted to not be using my vote, it goes against everything I believe in but i don’t feel I have much choice.

What a load of boll&$s on this thread. Spoiled ballots are counted as spoiled and then binned / destroyed. Honestly don't know why you f'g bother as NO ONE WILL NOTICE. Why live in a democracy where you have the privilege of a vote if you're going to waste your time on utterly meaningless 'gestures' ?

[quote sessell]@murbblurb and everyone else who thinks a spoilt ballot disrespects the suffragettes. Here is a quote and hopefully a picture (if it uploads) from American suffragette Susan B Antony: “No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.” In my view it disrespects these pioneers if we blithely support parties that mostly blindly work to destroy the rights they fought for. Not voting at all is unthinkable. But in terms of voting, spoiling the ballot and making the reason clear is better than voting for a candidate who actively opposes sex-based rights.[/quote]
Thanks @sessell, I’ve been wondering how to spoil my ballot and I’m going to write that quote along with Labour losing women as I used to be a Labour Party member.

You're welcome sessell and ChiefInspectorParker Yes the PCC advice is helpful - I got the link from another poster on another thread but can't remember who it was now.

this is great - i now know who to vote for as our PCC. nice work

Every single time this comes up. I dont care if mine never gets read, i only bother to do this so they know I actually bothered to turn up only to find women still dont matter. So they can fuck themselves for my actual x in a box.

This is how I feel.

I live in Scotland, the fuds that run things here with a very few notable exceptions don't deserve a lick o' my shite let alone my vote.

So it'll be "None" written across the ballot paper and a Woman Adult Human Female sticker...and hopefully a fit of the vapours again for any reality denying genderists who might happen upon my ballot at the count.

I don't know, I don't live where you live. As I said up thread my recommendation is to post on a local Facebook group, the candidates will quickly pop up once tagged and you can ask some decent questions.

My Labour candidate is an all round lovely guy @SushiGo. Except I happen to know he has harassed multiple women. Who should I vote for?

That's fine, and that's your choice but don't pretend you are doing it for the benefit of people who desperately rely on sensible, well funded local government services. Your choice to spoil your ballot does not benefit them in anyway.

If you don't know anything about your candidates I recommend posting on your local Facebook group. Someone will pop up, tag them and you can ask questions.

That's the point though isn't it. Services that impact women aren't solely ones that involve ethical questions about mixed sex provision.

So to drill it down to that is pointless. There's a whole picture here.

And yes, I am very involved in asking people to vote. Not for any particular party. Just to vote.

It's telling to me that because I disagree with you, you assume I know nothing about it.

@SushiGo my local choice is
A) Tory, white old dude, convicted drunk driver and the only candidate to bother sending out something about policy/him
Or
B) one of three candidates who I can find nothing about. I know name, address and party. Nothing from them through the door. Nothing on the local party websites. Nothing if I google them but the election notification.

The PCC lot I can see. So I’ve made a choice. It’s not one I’m happy with but I’d be less happy with the other options

Those of us who have fought to keep local services that support women going know how much every damn vote makes, so yes I get angry to think that so many women apparently think this one issue is worth throwing the women living around them under the bus for the next four years.

Local elections desperately need every single sensible vote they can get.