To spoil my ballot?

[OvariesBeforeBrovaries]

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

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?

A spoiled ballot is a valid take on the democratic process.
Not immature or a dereliction of duty.

greenworm

So I should validate and support beliefs that I don't believe in and parties won't change because as I have voted for them they believe that they are supported?

Italian I've considered it in the past but the hours of my new job wouldn't allow me to. Plus my brother would kill me, he wants to be the only politician in the family

Ovaries

Good to here of a politician running true to form

I do wonder if all those who don't register to vote because politics don't affect them, or because their vote won't make a difference, combined with all those who vote to stop something, or spoil their votes, ALL actually voted for what they want, whether those votes might actually make a difference.
THis time there seem to be so many thinking that they will 'vote tactically' that the actual results could end up the same anyway!

YWBU to spoil your ballot (why the fuck did we fight so hard for the vote if you're not going to use it?!) but I understand where you're coming from. In your shoes I'd vote Lib Dem - I know you feel betrayed about the uni fees, but actually I think it's bloody unfair that people who don't go to uni have to pay for those who do, people who enjoy a lovely 3+ years and then go on to out-earn the non-attendees considerably. I know society needs to value education, which is why Higher Education is still massively subsidised, but the people wanting to study should also contribute to prevent those who don't really know what they want to do but think they might as well go to uni from taking the piss and using up valuable resources. Education is an investment, and in order to justify the state support the one being education should bear some of the risk.

Anyway, it's a tough choice at the moment, I can't bear the thought of Corbyn as PM or that ghastly Abott woman as Home Secretary, but in my constituency a tactical vote would be for Labour, so i think I'll have to swallow my worries and vote Labour rather than Lib Dem. The Tories are destroying everything I believe in

Haven't read the whole post but I wouldn't waste everyone's time and spoil a vote. I would vote tactically and find out in your area who came second last time around. I voted on Thursday in council elections and I was horrified to find out that when I voted at 19:30 only 100 people out of 800 have bothered to vote. I'm not sure what the final turnout was but I'm really upset that people take this human right so flippantly, especially as a woman, where people died and suffered terribly so we could vote. Please vote tactically so we can get rid of the Tory government

OvariesBeforeBrovaries please do not allow your brother to thwart your political aspirations!

YANVU. There isnt a party that has all the policies I want. but this election is different.

Labour are the only party that will save the NHS

I cannot fucking believe anyone wants the US health system loved by the Tories. Wake up. Because if I know you didnt vote Labour, then you go and whine you have no healthcare, I am going to start screaming in your face and I dont think I will be able to stop.

I dont care how much you hate Corbyn. Its irrelevant. We are about to lose the NHS.

Spoiling your paper is much better than not voting. Spoiled papers are counted and if enough people spoiled their papers the message would be sent that our current system of voting isn't working.

vote for the party whose political line / manifesto you most align with and agree with the most, regardless of leadership.

For those saying that spoiling a ballot is a waste of time.

Do you really not understand how the system works?

I agree with you totally AHedgehog. To be honest I don't know if it's that I feel betrayed about uni fees - as I say, I'm in Wales so my student debt is the same as those from the year before me because the Welsh assembly government covered the extra with the fee grant -, more that I know so many people who do loathe them because of it that I feel like I'm betraying them for voting Lib Dem. Then again, that's the whole point of a secret ballot, isn't it? I don't have to tell anyone how I voted. Plus I think people who think uni should be free for all are living with their heads in the clouds, I'd rather have paid through the nose for my arts degree to enable nurses etc to train for free (although I may be biased as I'm now going into a career with a view to retraining as a paramedic )

I think the Lib Dems did a lot of good during their coalition, they moderated the Tories a bit, kept the pupil premium etc so I don't see them as evil, it just feels like I should because of my age, which is daft

Italian it'd make for some interesting dinner table conversations when we visit no I don't think he'd have a problem with it really, he wants more people to be involved in politics too. He's a good egg really, I'd vote for him

I have never not voted, but I have written my opinions on my ballot three times when I was not happy to support any of the candidates.

I really hate it when people say Women died to get women the vote therefore we have to.
Of course we don know what their exact thinking was, and times were different but surely if they were decent, they'd want women to have the choice to vote?
This time, for the first time, I chose to spoil, it counts as that.

Regardless of the party leaders. What would you prefer, a Tory government or a Labour government?
For my part my main priority is to get the Tories out - what they are doing to the sick, the vulnerable, the disabled, is just shocking. Cutting A&E departments, cutting midwives and community nurses. Making the rich richer and the poor poorer. They are despicable.
I can't understand why anybody would not use their vote to vote out the Tory party.
You did ask 😁

Tory-No, no way
SNP-Indyref 2, No, no way
The rest in my area-No, no way.
I know one of the independent candidates enough to know that he's an asshat. He had a hissy fit on FB because he didn't win, he got 92 votes.

I will be voting in the General, but that is my choice.

You live in Wales so I would suggest voting Plaid Cymru, given you are not 100% happy with Tim Farron.

I've done it before because I won't not turn out - but there isn't a ' none of the above' box and last time each candidate (never mind party leader) had a policy that I could not support or even tolerate.

Awaiting candidate lists and manifestos.

I've done it before as we don't have a non of the above option. I don't care if my vote doesn't count if I don't want any of the candidates to win.

Come the GE I will be voting Tory.

brillo of course you have the choice. "I really hate it when people say Women died to get women the vote therefore we have to." And I really hate it that Women had to die to get women the vote.

If you want to spoil your paper go ahead. it just seems a bad, unhelpful gesture. So many people around the world have no real options politically. Can you not pick one person or party above the others?

It's your vote, literally use it or lose it (this time). Or spoil the paper but I can't really see what it will achieve.

Maybe I will be wrong and millions s or thousands will join you... And then what? What's next?

Sorry that question should be to ovaries what next?

I've taken part in the count before now, and a spoilt ballot simply gets put in a pile then in the bin.

No one notices. It does nothing. If you write a big message on about being against all parties no one even reads it. Just dumped in a pile and binned.

You're wasting your time

Maybe we should press for a 'None of the above'?