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'm in a labour safe seat.

I have no idea what my best option is.

I hate all of them too. I cannot think of any I'd vote for but we are in such a safe seat my vote makes no difference anyway

I mentioned spoiling his ballot paper and I'll tell you why.

I wasn't actually meaning/thinking of writing some grand political statement and thinking, 'that'll show em!'. More like a scribble or whatever.

My reason was this: personally I think a lot of people say they don't know who to vote for because really, they can't be arsed thinking about it too hard.

If you have to make the effort to go to the polling station and all that, you're automatically more engaged in the process - in my opinion.

If he then genuinely doesn't know who to vote for, then fine. Leave it blank. But don't just not show up.

Another one who feels politically homeless, I’m in a strong labour constituency but have always voted LibDems (not lazily, honestly look properly into it every election) but actually our current Labour MP is brilliant, I really respect her and she listens to her constituents (she’s gone against the party once or twice because it went against what her constituents voted for), I’ve met her and feel safe with her representing me so I’ll probably vote Labour in the spirit of keeping my current MP who has proved her value

I’m going to tactical vote. I feel I’m represented by no one. In my constituency that will probably be labour.... 😵 going to hold my nose. Not got a hope in hell of ousting the idiot Tory mp though.

Also - spoiling your paper is no big gesture. As someone upthread said, they don’t get looked at other than to go in the spoiled pile at the count.

The only people that seem to think that people are trying to make a "big gesture" are those trying to get people to stop spoiling their ballot.

I don't know what the point of deliberate spoilt ballots is.
Half of them are just mistakes; neatly marked 2xs or no marks at all.
No one counts the different types of spoilts.

I think I would feel like my vote was more important if I lived in a safe seat; make sure they know it's NOT completely safe.

Apparently if you want to spoil your paper as a specific protest you should put a line through all boxes and write "None" over the paper.

The reasons for making a spoilt vote as a protest are given here

I am actually considering it for the first time ever. Because the system sucks.

I support 100% everyone's right to not vote, or to spoil their ballot papers - or, indeed, to vote for parties I hugely disagree with.
But I also support my own right to think that 'they're all as bad as one another so I won't bother' is the call sign of the smug, lazy wanker. And spoiling your ballot is witless, childish tantrumming worthy of Extinction Rebellion.

Wherever you live, there is a least-worst option. Vote for them. If you live in a 'safe' seat with a hateful sitting MP, vote for the person most likely to beat that sitting MP.

I'm currently inclined to think that the least-worst option is a completely hung parliament followed by a second referendum.

Vote for sorting Brexit in the short term; everything else can change in a few years, new parliaments and leaders will be elected, but Brexit is a change that you won't be able to reverse (not to get the deal we have now, anyway).

Nobody agrees entirely with any of the manifestos. Pick the issue that will be the most important/irreversible, and vote on that.

Getting Brexit 'done' is practically impossible, and even with a deal, will dominate politics for years to come. There are endless trade deals that need to be made. Voting for it to be 'done' in the short term is false promises!

There are no good options for me and I live in a very safe seat for my least favourite party. I'm in my 50s and have never voted
for a candidate that has won their seat, which is depressing. However I will be be going for the tactical option as I always do, I would never spoil my vote as I consider it to be exactly the same as not voting (neither counts for anything).

I am in an incredibly safe seat and it wont change. I use my vote as a barometer of important issues for the party who have the huge majority. Its useful for them to se for instance an independent with strong views on a particular issue doing surprisingly well. Or a sudden surge for the greens.
So thats my vote that people died for - a hint to the ruler as to the issues of interest.

if you don't vote, then you will need to be silent until the next election
You have forgone the right to complain, comment or express an opinion as far as anything political is concerned

That's like saying that, if somebody invited you over for dinner and then offered you a choice of a fried cat turd, a poached dog cronk or a bowl of creamy rabbit droppings - and you declined all of them - you would have absolutely no right to complain later that you were hungry.

WeBuiltThisBuffet those descriptors are fairly representative of my view of the current crop of political parties.

I don't know who to vote for either. Even the least bad option has policies I regard as dangerous to my and my family's future wellbeing. I don't feel I can give my support to any of them as I don't want any of them in power.

I’m almost jealous of those in safe seats..... I’m in a flip-flopping marginal and feel my vote is restricted to one of those two parties, and a huge weight of responsibility in deciding!

Look, just vote. You don't know who can be arsed on the day and who can't so make sure you can. If you're in a 'safe seat' and still want to vote for a less popular party, do it, or the seat will get safer still and even more people will think what's the point, won't they?
The only time I would say don't bother is it you're intending to spoil your ballot paper. NOBODY WILL GIVE A SHIT and you still won't get a say.

ReanimatedSGB and TakemedowntoPotatoCity

Until the powers that be put a NOTA box on the ballot, I will keep spoiling my ballot.

It pissing people off is just a bonus.

Yeah yeah. Bet you stay up past your bedtime as well and think that life holds no greater achievement than getting ticked off by the police for putting an XR sign on a bus stop...

'they're all as bad as one another so I won't bother' is the call sign of the smug, lazy wanker

I don't get what's smug or lazy about someone feeling completely alienated and disaffected with all the options available to them.

ReanimatedSGB

Its a shame that you don't actually have a valid argument.

Boneyback Jefferson, it won't piss anyone off, they just won't care. If you've got no better way to spend your time go for it !

TakemedowntoPotatoCity

It very clearly annoys various posters on here.

As for

If you've got no better way to spend your time go for it !

The whole process takes less than 3-5 minutes. Its on the way to work and its me using my ballot for my reasons.
You know the reason why we vote in the first place.

As I have previously posted, I am politically active in other ways. The ballot box is not the be all and end all of politics.

Tactical voting all the way. Heard today that Boris is set to win by a landslide which scares the hell out of me, unless something like 48% of people vote labour.

This post is worthy of repeating..

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.....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.

I So agree with this. You can look really carefully at the morals and beliefs of the individual candidates in your constituency. Vote for the least worst option.

If you are a Tory or Labour voter normally look at if you have a candidate that is too extreme for you. Look at what has happened to the Tory party. Only by voting can we ensure more moderate individual MPs form the majority.

If you have a horrid right winger as an MP like Mark Francois , James Cleverly, Rees Mogg, Duncan Smith, Redwood etc - vote tactically for this five years for whoever will get that extreme MP out.

We can go back to voting with party loyalty once the individual MPs have been cleaned up.

If they're an existing MP google their voting record. Look at what they DO not always what they say.

Why don’t more people get involved with local politics? It’s too easy to be an ‘armchair’ politician, to moan about politics, to sneer at the candidates and the main parties but why not do something constructive? Being involved at local level can be very interesting, but even local town councils struggle to get good, committed candidates.