DH is saying he won’t vote as “They’re all as bad as each other”

[Guineapig456]

I’m really worried that a lot of people may feel the same way, we’re all mentally tired of Brexit and the politicians do seem hopeless to a smaller or larger extent. But if people like DH don’t vote, it scares me what could happen after the election. I’m not political in any way but I’m worried for our future and most importantly my DCs’ futures. Crime, the NHS vulnerable to a U.S. style takeover, economic struggles, plus Brexit still not finished simply feels too much. Yet saying that we’re not going to vote doesn’t feel right either. I don’t know who to vote for, just that I hope whoever wins the election can really do something to help the vulnerable in our society, provide opportunities for our young people, genuinely invest in the NHS and other public services so that people can live rather than just exist.

I want to vote, I've always voted in the past in all elections, general or local or to do with things like PCCs etc. - but I feel the same as your DH. Who do I vote for? I can't bear Corbyn. I'd never vote Tory. The Greens and the Lib Dems don't want my vote; their representatives have told me so on Twitter when I've objected to their stance(s) on women's rights as adult human females. I'm a Remainer, and hate Farage; the Brexit party is out. Who do I vote for?

Sorry but whenever ive heard that before its been from lazy people who know nothing about politics but want to sound like they do.

I'm with him a bit. I really WANT to vote, but is voting for someone/a party who you don't like right? I have spent the last few years picking the "best of a bad bunch", but even that's getting more and more difficult!

Plus a lot of the threads on Mumsnet have depressed me. The General brexit remainers seem to be divided in how to vote, so I can't see any hope of Boris losing this, which is depressing!

That’s fine op - he doesn’t have to.

I'm not political either. I've always been a floating voter and I don't have any idea. I have no clue as to which party actually represents my interests anymore

Up to him!

If you’re in a “safe” constituency voting may be pointless anyway.

Since we don’t have proportional representation.

I understand his point but in that case I think he should possibly consider spoiling his vote.

Personally though I'd spend a lot of time looking at the tactical voting site to figure out the least worst option.

In any case he needs to make the effort to go to the polling station. It's too easy otherwise.

I mean spoiling his ballot paper, obvs. Not his vote.

Patroclus I don’t think my DH is being lazy, he actually is very well informed when we discuss current affairs but I think he feels that there really is no-one he feels should be in power. It is very depressing and I can understand his feelings. Reading this thread, it seems other people feel the same way.

I’m with @Dljlr
Says exactly what I feel too

My vote has no home

Yep I can see why he says that... There should be an options of "none of these bastards"

Hmmmm, tactical voting? How does that work?

Google it. Loads of sites. Depends on where you are though.

@Guineapig456 tactical voting for someone you wouldn't normally vote for, to stop someone else winning.

I work in elections and it’s been spelled out time after time on here why going to vote then spoiling your paper is a waste of your time.

No one reads them. No one cares. Only the election staff are allowed to handle ballot papers.

Regardless of what people say they will do, there will only be a handful of spoiled votes on the night and they don’t “convey a message”.

The thing is, even if you dislike all the parties, there must be some heirarchy of dislike. All the parties have policies or approaches I don’t like: the Tories on Brexit, Labour on anti-semitism and most of them on their lack of support for women’s equality. In the heirarchy of badness, there is an order for me, and I can quite clearly find a least worst option to vote for. When I hear of others not voting it seems a bit head-in-the-sand.

Not precious if, in your constituency, one party has a huge majority.

Frith2013

So what do you advocate for those of us that spoil our ballots?

avocadoze

By voting for the least worst option you are still ratifying their entire manifesto.

LTB.

I believe it's hugely important women vote as we fought so strongly to get the right.

I'm with your husband. Our "democratic" system is such a joke that it doesn't matter if I vote or not anyway.

Best bit is that we could have changed that a few years back and the major parties managed to persuade the prollies it was a bad idea 😆 sounds more like satire than reality

It's fine to feel that none of them should be in power, but one of them is going to be, so what can you do other than vote for the least worst? Not voting is essentially a vote for the current incumbent of your seat, and I would rank mine fourth out of the four parties standing. So I'll vote for the candidate who has the best chance of beating them.

I don't live in the constituency of any party leader, so it is in any case impossible for me to vote for Johnson/Corbyn/Swinson/Lucas.