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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put a 'spoilt vote' in the ballot box tomorrow.

57 replies

user1493759849 · 07/06/2017 21:48

I haven't got a CLUE who to vote for tomorrow. My heart is with one party, my head is with another. I like Corbyn and his ideas, and he is a caring man, but I feel he is unrealistic and is promising too much and thinking he can do much more than he can.

And I am afraid 5 years of Labour and reckless spending will F-up the country's finances good and proper. Then we will vote Conservatives back in, and they will have to issue another 5-6 years of austerity measures, setting us back a decade. So as much as I like Mr Corbyn, I have thought it through at great length, and I cannot vote Labour this time sadly...........

On the other hand, I cannot bring myself to vote Conservative. I never have and would rather not, as I think the cuts and austerity measures (although needed I guess,) have been cruel and harsh and aimed at the wrong people ... They have always looked after the rich and shit on the poor. Bedroom tax, tripling uni fees, taking college grants away, calling disabled and ill people liars! Angry The list goes on!!! I know this sounds dramatic, but I cried when they got in last time. I was devastated as I felt sure they would be gone.

I understand that cuts needed to be made and Labour left the country in a mess and it made me mad as I have always voted for them and supported them, but the Conservatives targeted the most vulnerable and needy and lonely, and made cuts to public services that have had dire consequences. And that makes me sad and angry. Maybe Theresa May will be different to the last lot, and less harsh, but there is no guarantee, and some of the things she has been saying make me a bit. Hmm And I fear for the future of the NHS.

I don't want to 'not vote' as it seems a bit Confused Shock

But I have heard that 'spoiling' your ballot paper can be beneficial. Some sites I have looked at suggest you write NONE over all of the candidates. Then you are submitting a protest vote, and are still voting, but not for any particular party. You are basically saying 'none of the above!'

Last election (2015?) 100,000 people did this!

Apparently, if enough people do that, it brings down the percentages and majorities of the other parties, (or something,) so you are effectively voting 'against' them, by saying 'none of the above.'

As I said, I don't want to 'not vote,' but I literally cannot vote for Labour or Conservatives. And don't want to vote for any of the others. I think we only have UKIP and Libdems anyway! Definitely don't want to vote for any of them.

So is this 'protest vote' a good idea? Better than not voting?

What are you supposed to do if you don't want to vote for ANY of them?

OP posts:
AdalindSchade · 07/06/2017 21:50

Labour are absolutely not going to win so vote labour as a show of support for their values and to reduce the Tory vote number majority.

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 07/06/2017 21:51

Better to spoil your paper than not turn up at all IMO

CaulkheadUpNorf · 07/06/2017 21:51

I've done it before. It's better than not voting because you go into a statistic of people who spoilt their ballot rather than people who didn't vote.

How close is your seat though? That would make a difference to me.

TheMonkeyAndThePlywoodViolin · 07/06/2017 21:52

Go and read the disability cuts thread

fluffandsnuff · 07/06/2017 21:53

Spoiled ballot definitely better than not voting as spoiled ballots are counted- so formal recognition that they are all shit. I don't think I'm going to spoil, but thinking about voting small to keep someone from losing their deposit (have a few more options here)

Alittlepotofrosie · 07/06/2017 21:55

Spoiling your ballot is an absolute complete and total waste of time in real terms. I'm voting tactically against the tories but i don't particularly like either of the main candidates in my area and if i wasnt voting tactically i wouldn't vote the way im planning to.

NickMyLipple · 07/06/2017 21:55

@AdalindSchade - if everyone who wasn't sure who to vote for did this, they WOULD win!

RoganJosh · 07/06/2017 21:55

Do you like anyone at all? I mean maybe green? I'd think of them as a kind of protest vote?
I just think it's a bit more obvious that way.

PurpleDaisies · 07/06/2017 21:56

I personally think it's a waste of time. Someone will still be prime minister on Friday anc they're not going to be affected in the slightest by a large number of spoilt ballots.

rollonthesummer · 07/06/2017 21:58

A total waste of time in my opinion.

TheFallenMadonna · 07/06/2017 21:58

You choose the least worst option. Because you only have a choice out of those who put themselves forward. One of them will be elected. No matter how many people spoil their ballots.

NoLotteryWinYet · 07/06/2017 21:58

Shame you can't write 'PR please' and have votes for a referendum counted! No lib dems in your area?

PurpleDaisies · 07/06/2017 21:59

How close is your seat though? That would make a difference to me.

Parties won't ever take on "safe seats" if people don't turn out to vote for other candidates. My mp (who I won't be voting for because he's an arsehole) has a massive majority so nobody bothers to campaign here.

MarciaBlaine · 07/06/2017 22:00

No. Vote for someone. There must be SOMETHING you personally agree with, a local MP that you like better than another. REmember is it is YOUR local MP you are voting for and not JC/TM personally. Are they engaged? Answer their emails? Represent well on local issues?

IntrusiveBastards · 07/06/2017 22:01

Yanbu. Both of them are shit and will Fuck us when one of them gets in power. I personally wouldn't bother protest voting but I'd love a 'none of the above' box.

thefairyfellersmasterstroke · 07/06/2017 22:01

"None of the above" is the ultra-polite way to spoil your ballot paper, but you can't beat a good old cock and balls. Here's an official guide: waterfordwhispersnews.com/2016/02/26/how-to-drawthe-perfect-penis-on-your-ballot-paper/

SquidgeyMidgey · 07/06/2017 22:01

Agree with FallenMadonna, go for the least worst option. Spoiling your ballot paper achieves nothing but a roll of the eyes from statisticians.

TheMonkeyAndThePlywoodViolin · 07/06/2017 22:02

Or just help us carers out. Would be nice

cunningartificer · 07/06/2017 22:04

Rather than a protest spoiling ballot ( which will be taken as seriously as graffiti on an exercise book) try this quiz 38degrees.ge2017.com/quiz?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blast2017-06-06 to see best chances for tactical and meaningful voting. Please don't waste your vote--it's worth more than that.

KatherinaMinola · 07/06/2017 22:05

If it's just because you don't trust Labour on the economy, read this letter signed by 120 economists backing Labour's costed manifesto.
www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/03/the-big-issue-labour-manifesto-what-economy-needs

But if you still have doubts, yes, look at the all the candidates - is there anyone you like? Green? Lib Dem? Independent?

Look also at how marginal your seat is - if it's a question of under 2,000 votes between winner and second place in 2015, then your vote could really count - don't waste it.

If you really can't vote for anyone, spoil your ballot paper (I have, in the past).

user1480459555 · 07/06/2017 22:09

I could have written the original post as it is exactly how I feel.

I live in a strong Tory area so any other vote is pretty pointless anyway not that I want to vote for any of the others.

I feel that there should be some sort of "none of the above idiots" box to tick. Probably no one does care but we should have some way of making a protest.

I strongly believe we should all vote and I will but really want to make the point that I think they are all useless liars

TheFallenMadonna · 07/06/2017 22:13

"They" are the people who have put themselves forward. If we don't like what's on offer, we need to get involved to change it. That is effectively what happened in the labour party after the last general election.

PumpkinPiloter · 07/06/2017 22:27

Labour did not leave the economy in a mess.

The reason the economy was in a mess was the GLOBAL financial meltdown caused by the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the USA, it affected all economies and in fact the UK bounced back fairly well.

Furthermore austerity measures have been shown not to work and is mostly discredited by most economists. It has not worked well for many countries. The economy grew every quarter for 11 successive years primarily under the Labour government.

I am not trying to tell you who to vote for but I am just really surprised how the narrative of Labour "losing all the money" narrative seems to have been lapped up.

mindmyarse · 07/06/2017 22:30

The person I trust is the person that will get my vote Corbyn may not be great leader material but he strikes me as a decent guy who will try to keep his word I am done with years of politicians who just play the game My view is he deserves a chance and sometimes in life the people that often get overlooked because someone is yelling louder deserve a break . I was going to spoil my ballot paper but decided even if labour has a slim chance I gave it a go It's sounds defeatist maybe but the current situation is as bad as it gets and also I reckon he won't be welcoming Trump with open arms That for sure gets my vote

arethereanyleftatall · 07/06/2017 22:34

I feel exactly the same as you regarding labour and Tories. I don't want to vote for either of them as I don't agree with enough of their policies.

So I'm going green. They aren't going to win, but a bit of extra green voice in parliament will be good.