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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To spoil my ballot?

163 replies

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 05/05/2017 13:32

I know IABU to talk about politics when there's a bajillion other threads on it already. I await your Biscuit throwing Grin

I've never even contemplated doing this before, in my head I've equated it to being the same as not voting at all. I want to vote, I want to take part in this democracy, but I'm so frustrated and disenfranchised. I don't want any of them to win. I don't want party politics and adults acting like kids slagging off other parties and other people in the newspapers and on TV because they have opposing politics. I want a group of people who have been elected for their own personal politics and views to sit down together and figure something out, rather than three or four groups of people waving their willies about and refusing to budge on issues because "that's what the party does" and just coming out with random slogans that mean nothing instead of actually answering questions.

I can't vote Conservatives. Hell would freeze over before I did.

I won't vote for Labour because while I think Corbyn is neither the demon nor the saint he's been made out to be, regardless of him the party is in a complete state and until one side or the other decides fuck it, this isn't working and does something to lead to a more united party, I can't vote for them.

My political views align with the Lib Dems, I think, and I like that Farron seems able to separate his religious views and his politics (unlike May who got all pissy about "Easter" but sees nothing wrong with food banks and disabled people dying), but I went to uni in 2012 so voting Lib Dem feels like heresy as one of the first years to be hit with £9k a year tuition fees (that said, I'm in Wales so the government fee grant took care of the extra, which may be why I'm not so militant about it).

Plaid, Greens etc feel like a wasted vote.

UKIP is a joke really.

What I'm getting at is, is spoiling your ballot the same as not voting at all? I don't want to write an essay on there because I know it won't get read, just to scribble all over it or draw in my own "none of the above" box or something. Last GE I saw people really criticising those who spoiled their ballots and I agreed, but now I feel so disenfranchised by it all. Do you vote for the lesser of all evils, just so that at least you've voted?

OP posts:
harderandharder2breathe · 05/05/2017 13:35

Yes you might as well not bother, since your vote won't count.

Look at your local candidates and judge them rather than party leaders.

If you don't want to vote then don't but then you give up the right to moan about the result since you've not bothered to take part

GlassOfPort · 05/05/2017 13:39

I second looking at your candidates, but also voting tactically.

If you want to keep the Tories out, see who has got the most chances in your constituency.

CaulkheadNorth · 05/05/2017 13:41

Spoiling your ballot is better than not voting IME. I've done that at local mayor or police commissioner ones before.

Birdsgottaf1y · 05/05/2017 13:45

Unfortunately UKIP isn't 'a joke'.

Tactically vote, so they move down the ladder, if you have no other reason to vote.

UKIP supporters vote, so it's crucial that the rest of us do, also.

I don't want another Tory Government, so I vote Labour, as much as I am very disappointed in the state of the Party, at present.

Pinkheart5917 · 05/05/2017 13:45

It's your right to choose how you vote and that includes spoiling your vote if you wish ( although this is the same as not voting at all) I'm not going to judge you or give you biscuits as it's your right to do whatever you want when it comes to voting.

I personally don't really like any of the parties so I will vote for the one that I think is less evil.

Sittinginthesun · 05/05/2017 13:46

Are you me???? (Apart from the fact I went to university a million years ago...)

This us exactly the debate going on in my head at the moment.

The additional quirk for me is that I quite like our conservative mp, so if I vote on candidates, it would be him. But he's Conservative!

BahHumbygge · 05/05/2017 13:49

Plaid or Greens are less of a wasted vote than spoiling your ballot paper (if you support their policies obv).

Birdsgottaf1y · 05/05/2017 13:50

""Spoiling your ballot is better than not voting IME.""

No it isn't and no-one takes any notice of it as a protest vote. If you are that unhappy, then there are lots of political campaigns/demonstrations that you can get involved with.

FineSally · 05/05/2017 13:58

I will admit to doing this a couple of times over the last 2 years, but in the local council elections, not a GE. I am in a real quandary about how to vote in the GE.

I am living in a constituency that has been Labour as long as I can remember, and I can honestly say that my vote makes not one jot of difference. Most of the local elections we do not even get an election statement from the tories. Nor do other parties bother even to put up candidates for the council elections, so its just a two-horse race. So the question is : do you vote for the incumbent, or register a protest that you would like someone else?

The problem I have is that our "first past the post" system isn't a true reflection of the situation. If I vote against the incumbent, I am sending a signal that I support the Tories, which I don't.

I would like to think I could vote for a personality that I think really does care about his/her constituency, rather than a faceless Yes-man.

So I spoil my ballot to show that I don't like either candidate.

The GE will just compound the problem, as we are likely to get at least 1 independent as well as 1 or more of the smaller parties fielding candidates. I cannot support any of the major parties at present, and any other vote is just pointless.

mrsBeverleygoldberg · 05/05/2017 13:58

Women died to give us the right to vote. Take it seriously.

BadLad · 05/05/2017 14:01

Vote for one of the joke parties if you want to protest-vote.

ExplodedCloud · 05/05/2017 14:06

I have done at the police commissioner non job ones because I object to the role. It counts for turnout purposes and in the event of a close vote may be scrutinised by the candidates.

BurnTheBlackSuit · 05/05/2017 14:09

There is literally no point in spoiling your ballot paper. It is the same as not turning up. And actually a low turn out gets more attention than the number of spoiled papers.

But it's best to vote for the candidate (not party) whose policies most closely match yours and who will do their best for your area. You're unlikely to ever agree with a candidate 100% on everything.

MaximumVolume · 05/05/2017 14:25

I'd s say that if you want proper scrutiny of legislation then no party having a majority is a good thing. It means any legislation has to stand up properly to be passed, unlike where there's a majority & most MPs toe the party line.

So yes, use your vote. If you think Jeremy Corbyn is neither a demon or a saint, & you're not a fan of a Tim Farron, put those things to the back of your mind and remember that you are voting for one of your local candidates.

Every vote that isn't UKIP or Conservative is a small voice saying they disagree with Nationalism & the extreme austerity that has seen cuts to education announced that will be in the region of £450 per pupil cut to the budget in many schools.

Every vote is valuable.

YouCantArgueWithStupid · 05/05/2017 14:26

Very mature attitude OP

Hillarious · 05/05/2017 14:26

No. Not turning up just looks like apathy. If you spoil your ballot paper you'll be included in turn-out figures, and the number of spoiled ballots is counted. If more people did this, it would be more apparent that people don't like the candidates, rather than just not being arsed to go out and vote.

I'll be working on the count at the General Election, and it's always amusing to see the comments made by people spoiling their ballot papers. Certainly brightens up a long night!

Iwasjustabouttosaythat · 05/05/2017 14:28

Er, isn't this whole brexit thing because of people not bothering to vote? Have you learned nothing?

GinnyBaker · 05/05/2017 14:36

This is exactly how I feel too, OP. I have seriously been thinking about it.

Fed up with labour and their 24 hours to save the NHS bullshit when they have fucking destroyed it with PFI

Fed up with the tories and the way austerity is affecting the very people who can't take any more cuts

Find the Lib Dems just utterly smug and annoying and can't get past their ridiculous obsession with proportional rep and insisting on the AV referendum when the country was in massive shit at the start of the coalition.

UKIP just no.

But then I think about countries where they have no vote etc and it feels like a ridiculous thing not to vote, so maybe this is at least saying something with my vote....I just don't know.

BelleTheSheepdog · 05/05/2017 14:39

I came from a very political family growing up and was told that if you honestly can't back a candidate, then at least turn up and mark the fact on the ballot. It shows you respect your right to vote but find you can't, unlike not voting which can be interpreted as apathy.

But I would never berate or condemn anyone for their choices. Having said that all people, men and women, have struggled to gain the right to vote and it is precious. That's as far as I'd go in bossing others around!

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 05/05/2017 14:41

yes, I think that's unreasonable.

If you hate the Tories more than you hate the rest, vote for one of the rest and at least give them some opposition in government.

Valentine2 · 05/05/2017 14:42

After today's results, I also feel like voting for Labour essentially to stop Tories in their tracks of at least slow them down.
I am also very angry at the state of the Labour Party OP. I am also very angry on their MPs and the Corbyn team to not come up with some solid plan for this scenario of an early election.
But Brexit won't be undone and we need to focus on that. So it's time to use vote tactically. I think I am going to vote Labour.

tinytemper66 · 05/05/2017 14:42

My son voted for all 4 candidates when he had to pick 3 as he didnt want to not vote. He didnt like the choice - 3 Labour and one Plaid. [I think he is a Tory Shock ]

allegretto · 05/05/2017 14:43

In your shoes I would vote Lib Dem, you agree with their policies but you hold a grudge about uni fees. Whilst I understand that, remember that the Lib Dems were in a coalition, they didn't win and renege on their promises! They really were not able to implement this. If you are still not sure, vote Lib Dem for me as I can't vote but would vote for them!

TheViceOfReason · 05/05/2017 14:43

One of the candidates will get voted in no matter what you do - and whilst your individual vote is highly unlikely to make a difference, if a number of people all think the same way and either spoil their votes or don't vote at all - then the cumulative numbers could well have made a difference.

CheerfulMuddler · 05/05/2017 14:48

Did you see the figures for Congress voting to repeal the Affordable Health Care Bill?
the phantom atlas
217 For
213 Against
1 Abstain

If just two members of Congress and the abstainee had voted against the bill, it wouldn't have passed.

Did you see this council where the result came down to drawing a straw? Imagine if you'd spoilt your ballot in this seat, how you'd feel now?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/05/lib-dem-and-tory-candidates-draw-straws-in-northumberland-vote

Yes, it can feel like your vote is worth nothing. But remember when Remain was definitely going to win? When Hilary was definitely going to win? When Labour were going to win the last election?

I'm not saying the Tories are going to lose this election, because I'd be astonished if that happened. Just ... you don't know what's going to happen in your constituency. You don't know how much or little your vote is going to count.

And nobody except the counters are going to know if your spoilt ballot meant "Bloody Corbyn!" or "I would vote for the BNP but there aren't any candidates here!" or "Our MP was mean to my wife that time so I'm damned if I'm going to vote for them." It won't mean anything to anyone except you. But your vote will.

So vote.