Have you/will you spoil your ballot?

Agreed @BigHuff !!

Sexism is so engrained isn't it? People don't even see it sometimes.

Yes, I wonder about the number of spoiled ballots. It was low in Hartlepool - maybe 150 or so.

There were 16 candidates - many standing on specific issue/protest platforms, so providing outlets for voters who were “none of the above” for the main parties. Also - the Hartlepool by-election is the only election today that actually is explicitly about whether those voters are pro/anti Boris Johnson’s govt. I’d be a lot, lot less likely to spoil my ballot if I’d voted there. I may even have supported the Labour candidate depending on his individual behaviour/position. So much about the tactics of how you vote for depend on where you are voting and what you are voting for (MP, council, regional, devolved parliament, city mayor etc).

If we eventually get to 25% of all ballots being spoiled, maybe politicians will start to pay attention.

I was also dismayed to see there were no independent candidates standing, but until (ha!) we shift to a PR system I guess standing as an independent is an exercise in losing money.

I spoiled my ballot. I could not in good conscience vote for any of the candidates.

For those saying "Could you not excuse the sexism/were there no other issues to vote on?" - if all the candidates were standing on a platform of racism, or homophobia, would you excuse it and vote for one of them? Would you expect a BME individual or a gay or lesbian individual to vote for one of those candidates, or would you consider it reasonable for them to spoil their ballot?

Apologies for comparing female oppression with the oppression of other groups, but female oppression is pervasively and insistently minimised. It is so accepted and normalised that it feels like sometimes the only way to get across the seriousness of sexism is to compare it with another oppression (one that affects men!)

I'm going to join The Friends of Lesbian Labour as soon as it's set up. They are taking email addresses right now. Just message them.

https://www.lesbianlabour.com

(Please don't vote Tory 🙏🙏🙏)

You can buy stickers here:

https://www.standingforwomen.com/campaign-golas

I did not do this lightly.
I have never not voted.

Along with various others, I stuck stickers on my ballot & in the booth. Planning to sticker in other places too such as public toilets.

I spoiled my constituency ballot. Spoiled ballots are counted - the count is read out too I believe. I wonder whether this election will see a significant increase in the number of spoiled ballots?

I spoiled by ballot for first time ever in nearly 40 years of voting and civic participation.

So scold me.

These nay-sayers with “ok, so a few people (candidates/agents) might quickly look at the spoiled ballots, but no one actually cares what they say” - erm, isn’t that kind of an issue? Whoever is elected, they are elected to represent the entire constituency, not just the people who voted for them (in most cases the minority of their constituents). And their first chance to get any feedback from constituents that didn’t support them, and they’re not interested to take more than a quick glance at the ballot papers to see if they can claim them as a vote or not. Not interested in the direct messages constituents have written to them. Well doesn’t that just sum up what is wrong with the political establishment in this country.

I spoiled my constituency vote by writing "If you don't respect my sex-based rights, don't expect my vote". I voted Alba on the regional vote. I could not vote for any party who believe TWAW. Hopefully someone will notice the increased number of spoiled votes.

I spoiled my constituency vote (I wrote the 'No self respecting woman' quote by Susan B Anthony) purely because I couldn't bring myself to vote for any of them (and I did investigate manifestos and write to candidate to make sure I was informed).

A pp has mentioned that it would only be noticed if there was a significant number and there would only be dozens. I'm not so sure - I know quite a few people who had indicated they intended to spoil their ballot. I think the numbers might be interesting.

For the first time I didn’t vote, now I wish I had gone and spoiled my ballot

I spoiled. I wasn’t going to vote at all but couldn’t bring myself to not turn out. So I wrote woman = adult human female and drew a great big Venus symbol.

I swithered but couldn’t bring myself to spoil. Have never felt so conflicted and hope i don’t regret my decision.

I’d rather use my vote to good use instead of at pointlessly wasting it.

So would I, obviously, and I always vote. But I will never vote for a candidate or a party that’s committed to reducing women’s rights. When that only leaves the Tories, who are doing so much damage in other ways, what’s the alternative to spoiling my vote?

a friend of mine has another friend who stood as a candidate in the last election. He was shocked and outraged that three papers they were asked to inspect and agree were spoiled had penises drawn on them. One had sperm with little smiles on it. I was very pleased my drawing left an impression 🤣

I wrote what felt like a chapter,
Woman, noun. adult human female
Women wont wheest
#labourlosing women.
Respect my sex to get my X

I was ages in the booth.
Still I feel better for making the effort.

And for all you saying they wont be read or seen or acted on, I dont care I bloody tried to get the message across. If they wont respond to my emails they might respond to lost votes next time. And if not I still did my bit.

I wrote '#Adult human female' - shorter than I'd intended but there were people waiting. I have no illusions about it being read but if anyone does wonder why I would walk to the polling station in the rain, wait in line, and not vote, well at least it's there. Up to them.

I don't feel good about it. In fact I'm thoroughly depressed. I've been politically engaged all my adult life and I'd really hoped for an independent candidate. But there wasn't one and I will not vote again for any party that wants to remove my rights. Those posters who've been dropping by all day to scold and even explain how politics works - they helped my resolve. To those saying it would have been more effective to vote Conservative - yes you do have a point.

I emailed my local labour counsellor and said I wouldn't vote for them because of this issue. Then I voted for them because like fuck I would do ANYTHING to let the Tory bastards think that they are gaining in our area. As a feminist I see beyond this one issue and the Tories are th biggest pile of misogynists with the king of misogyny at the top