Coordinating spoilt ballots

I wasn't aware that stickers and felt tips were too expensive for working class people.

I'm an overseas voter so it's a postal vote or proxy vote.

That just looks like you don't care.

I never realised postal ballots were so popular. I'm a big believer in the cross in the box. But not this time, unfortunately.

I just got home (it's 4pm here) to find my ballot paper in the letterbox.

I've just scrawled "none of the above. I am unable to vote for Tories, racists or people who believe a woman can have a penis" on it.

So my conscience is now clear.

The question is, do I just stick it in the postbox and hope it arrives by Thursday, or do I pay for express delivery so it arrives on time?

And all the maudlin malarky about how the Suffragettes fought for the votes so we have to actually disrespects them.

Do you really think that the women who went to jail, were force fed and worse would in this present time and just meekly turn up and say oh this is what the patriarchy is offering me so of course I will be a nice obedient woman and just tick a box for someone I dont not believe in.

I agree. In 1911 suffragettes and suffragists literally went into hiding to avoid taking part in the 1911 census - they were prepared to become invisible in society in order to make their protest.

I think I will write "JK Rowling for PM".

I'm so glad we have the ability to spoil our vote. I'll be doing exactly that on Thursday for the 1st time ever. What a bloody mess this country is, not a single decent one amongst them. Not just in this country too, look at France and the rise of the far right. The West in general is crumbling.

The point about spoiling your ballot as opposed to just not voting is because they have to declare along with the numbers for each candidates the number of spoit votes.

I suspect in this election if everybody was honest, well over 50% of those turning up at a polling station would do that.

And it is just dumb to say it you dont vote you have opted out of former the new Government.

Under FPTP most of us have no ability to influence anything.

It is only people in marginal constituences who have any power.

Idealy if anyone could be bothered, there should be a web site where you can go and state why you spoilt your ballot paper.

Its this silencing of what is really going on, and the stagnant political system that means so many people feel disenfranchised.

And all the maudlin malarky about how the Suffragettes fought for the votes so we have to actually disrespects them.

Do you really think that the women who went to jail, were force fed and worse would in this present time and just meekly turn up and say oh this is what the patriarchy is offering me so of course I will be a nice obedient woman and just tick a box for someone I dont not believe in.

I dont think so.

Eh? Why?
You seemed to be saying that spoiling a vote was not a "valid option" and waste of a vote. That's why I asked you about independent parties (or any party except the two main ones, for that matter) as one could also argue that voting for them is also a wasted vote...
why is it different depending on what the party stands for?!.

I have no intention of spoiling my ballot, but voting is also showing them how you feel, just in a different way.

I believe they vanish into thin air, as if they've never existed. Or something like that!

I'm really hoping that someone comes along to tell us what happens to the spoilt ballot papers.

Ah, not again.
Ffs WE KNOW

All spoiled papers do is provide some amusement for the tellers, candidates and agents.

But at least you will provide some variety from the dick drawings.

news.sky.com/story/you-wouldnt-believe-the-amount-of-dicks-secrets-of-a-ballot-counter-13151941

Thanks for that I thought the same but hadn't got to finding the figures yet.
I seriously doubt anyone who really wanted to remain in the EU spoiled their ballot, because why would they? I do know of a few who didn't bother because they thought it would be an easy win 🙄but that's not the same.

Why can't people tell the difference between how voting works in a referendum and a normal FPTP election?

I will 100% be voting and 100% spoiling my ballot.

Well, exactly. I think the race is a tie, frankly!

“I always think of Brexit (I voted Remain). Too many Remainers didn’t bother to vote or spoiled their ballot, and look what happened.“

What are you basing this on @BreatheAndFocus because turnout was higher than any general election since 1992 and the level of spoilt votes was around .05% compared to around .3% for GEs

Jonathan Pie has something to say about spoilt ballots
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0020m9d

I don’t think people should spoil their ballots and have said so elsewhere here. I’m not a Labour voter. I’ve always voted Green, but they’ve gone insane with the GI stuff.

As said above, no-one cares what you write on a spoiled ballot. They only look at whether it’s a valid vote. Someone said that the party observers might notice. Well, they might but they’re not going to care either.They’re focussed on the result of the vote not what a tiny number of people have written on their ballot.

You don’t have to vote for any candidate. I’m using my vote to hopefully stop the worst candidate getting in. I don’t like any of them, but they’re not equally bad. Some are worse than others. Therefore, I’ll use my vote to try to stop the worst party getting in in my area.

I always think of Brexit (I voted Remain). Too many Remainers didn’t bother to vote or spoiled their ballot, and look what happened.

Stopping the worst option getting elected is as valid a use of a vote as voting for someone you like. People are obviously entitled to not vote and to spoil their ballot, but think carefully before you do so and see how the wind’s blowing in your area. This could all go horribly wrong.

I think the truth may well be that some are simply desperate for a Labour win and don't want that compromised.

This intrigues me a bit, as so many Labour supporters are saying it'll be a landslide / 'super majority' and also that nobody really cares about this issue, that surely they shouldn't be concerned, by their own reasoning?

I did see that the Mail has an 'anti-Labour' tactical voting section online, however, with about 130 seats where it's really marginal. So maybe there is a bit of concern.

I think they'll win, definitely. It's by how much at this point.

Five years ago I'd have been desperate for a Labour win, even under useless Starmer. The Tories have made a gigantic mess of the country, from Brexit onwards, Boris Fucking Johnson, etc. But now? I don't expect any incoming government to fix the economy and the NHS, clean up the rivers, and stop the war in Gaza (all without putting our taxes up, natch). But here's a thing they could fix. It wouldn't cost a fortune either. But they are more interested in pandering to a small and noisy minority group.