to wonder why people spoil their ballot papers?

[RedButtonhole]

What does it achieve? Surely you'd be as well not voting, or am I missing the point?

I'm a labour voter and I'm not pissed off. I'm sure the other 100 Labour voters in the ward can wrap their brains round why there's no candidate.

In the GE we had a candidate. But we did no campaigning whatsoever here. We bussed campaigners to local constituencies where we could make a real difference.

Then you don't now your voters.

Read this thread other pp have said how annoyed they were that their party or other alternative partys were not represented on the local election form.

You assume to much of the public (your potential voters)

Well twatface it seems we will have to agree to differ and I will have to bow to your obviously considerably greater knowledge and experience of grass roots political campaigning!

Apathy

Whose? If you say mine I might just fucking scream!!

I don't buy the argument that the parties are "all the same". There are huge differences between them, especially once you get away from the largest parties. At least vote for one of the parties you don't think is the worst one.

nothing you have said about labour campaigning you have put forward on here Is at all confidence inspiring in the party, and as a potential future voter of labour, the way you have answered me has done labour no favours

Labours apathy

Do you imagine the Tories act any differently in hard labour wards? If you do you're mistaken. All of the major parties have to be equally pragmatic. The greens didn't field a local candidate today here either. Perhaps that'll convince you never to vote green either

And how odd that you'd base your voting intentions on the views of a random MNer in a constituency that's potentially 100s of miles away from you. Surely you'd be basing your voting decision on policies / the best local candidate.

You sound very naive if i may say so.

You may say what you like my dear

I don't believe I have said anything about how I have voted or my reasons why

I was picking up on your point of no labour candidate on a local election form.

You said you were a potential labour voter. You said my comments had not impressed you. Implying that it was influencing your thoughts on what party to support

As I say, every party runs the same system so please don't save your displeasure for labour.

Anyway, I'm going to bed

Night bit have a

I've got wine my dear

Well you could share!

Well, you ballot-spoilers really showed those politicos a thing or two tonight, didn't you? All those invalid results due to spoiled ballots will really make them sit up and take notice...

The only energy required in getting your name on the ballot is getting 10 signatures. You choose not to, which is fair enough. However, it's not about resources, as you suggested earlier.

Moonatic

For me its not about showing those "politicos a thing or two", its about my own principles and not voting for slime (whatever their political colour).

Exactly. I am so so intrigued what you would like me to do as an alternative? (Apart from stand which 99.9% of people are not realistically going to do! I have done this in the past but I am not in a position to do so now)

And can I just reiterate, I did not spoil my paper in the GE.

I don't "expect" you to do anything. It's entirely up to you whether you vote or not, or whether you spoil your paper.

I am simply pointing out that it is a pretty futile gesture rather than the revolutionary act that some of you seem to imagine. Spoil your paper if i makes you happy, but don't delude yourself that a single politician will give a shit. "Crikey! Someone drew a unicorn on a ballot paper! We must immediately re-think our education policy".

I could argue further that spoiling a ballot paper gives the candidates no steer whatsoever as to what alternative you would prefer to see. Do you reject everyone for being too left wing, or too right wing? Tax rates too high or not high enough? Too europhile or too eurosceptic? How the h*ll is anyone supposed to know?

But, as I say, go ahead and spoil your ballot if that's what makes you happy. You have every right to do so.

Moonatic

Just because I spoil the ballot doesn't mean that I am not politically active.

Google John Bercow (speaker) about the 1400 or so voters who spoiled their papers in his Buckingham constituency. Their actions might possibly cause change

m.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/more-news/election-2015-john-bercow-addresses-spoilt-ballot-papers-issue-after-election-victory-1-6733177

Goodness me Moon - did you just pat me on the head at the end of that post?

Couple of things:

• I didin't spoil my paper because I thought it was a revolutionary act. What an odd thing to say!
• at least spoiled papers are counted and announced - unlike the non-votes of people who don't bother to vote
• I don't expect anyone to change a policy based on my spoiled paper - just as I don't expect a Tory councillor to change his voting intentions based on the fact that I've voted Labour
• It doesn't make me happy to have to do it. It actually makes me quite grumpy

I make my views known in other ways - I am also, like Boney, very politically active. I don't spoil my ballot paper every vote for a laugh and then walk away from the process

Anyway, I thought this story about a spoiled paper that rather back fires on the voter might make a rather more light hearted view on the subject

I don't understand why you are not in a position to stand. If you live in a Tory stronghold you will not win. You don't need to campaign? You need do nothing other than get 10 signatures and hand in the form. That's it. You seemed earlier in the thread to be suggesting that it is a lack of resources that prevents candidates being fielded where there is little chance of a win. There is a common misconception that all elections require deposits etc. I'm just saying that is not the case. You need spend no money and very minimal effort to put a name you and others can vote for on the ballot. Stops your supporters from getting used to putting a cross against another party.

If you think it's a simple as that you're mistaken! I've done my time standing. I an not in a position in terms of my own time resources to do it at the moment. I do not see why, of all the ballot spoilers here I am being singled out as breakfast my some kind of Wimp for not standing.

Have you ever stood?