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

[user1493759849]

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! 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. And I fear for the future of the NHS.

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

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?

Conservative majority here is MASSIVE. 60% last time. It's a very conservative area, (quite rural, middle class demographic,) and there is a big Conservative stronghold. So even if I voted Labour, it probably wouldn't make a jot of difference.

Still, I really feel I can't, as I can't get my head around what Corbyn wants to do as I feel it's unrealistic, and he will throw the country into financial disarray.

Annoyingly our Conservative MP is ok, and has done some decent things for my area, but he still has that Tory mindset (supports foxhunting, bedroom tax, the benefit cap etc.)

Although I believe something needed doing to discourage people from making a career out of staying on benefits, what they did was waaaaaay too harsh and it was upsetting to see how people suffered...

So I don't really want to vote for him/Conservatives really as it goes against all of my Labour/working class nature. But I (sadly) cannot vote for Corbyn.

My only 2 other options will be Libdem or Ukip, and I think maybe Green.

I did the 38 degrees and i-side-with quizzes by the way. On isidewith, it came up with me agreeing with Labour 57%, and UKIP 57% Libdems, 60%, conservative 55%, Green 53%!

WTF? I got the same for Labour as I did for UKIP!!! Probably because I agree with some Labour stuff but not all,and some UKIP stuff and not all. The result on the 38 degrees one were very similar. When I answered the questions; Labour, UKIP, and Conservatives only had 3% between them!

Not really helping LOL. And yeah, I guess as pumpkin said, it was the global crash that contributed to the Labour 'no more money' letter. And yeah people have fudged the truth. But then the same could be said for people insisting the Conservatives are going to dismantle the NHS when they have never said they will, and are going to plough £8 billion into it. I guess people hear what they want to hear.

I will go read the link by Katherina.

Spoiled papers aren't voted. There just isn't time. The only time 'spoiled' papers are looked at is when the counters think there has been a vote cast, but it's a bit unusual, then the vote will be shown to reps of each party who must agree who the vote is for.

If you must protest vote, voted LibDem or Green or Independent. But vote. Make your vote, it's so important.

I meant spoiled voting papers aren't counted, of course. Dur.

I think Labour want to do a lot of things. Good things. Do I think they'll necessarily manage all of It? Probably not. I'd rather 50% of their manifesto than any amount of the Conservative manifesto.
It's sad when people vote against a party who wants to do what they want in one of the richest countries in the world because they've bought into the austerity lie :(

It is simultaneously a tragedy and laughably stupid exploded

I think Labour want to do a lot of things. Good things. Do I think they'll necessarily manage all of It? Probably not. I'd rather 50% of their manifesto than any amount of the Conservative manifesto.

Good point.

I saw this video by the Green Party, but it equally applies to any smaller party.

www.facebook.com/thegreenparty/videos/10154531821110785/

A vote for your values won't be wasted.

Apparently a 'spoiled' vote or 'protest' vote is counted and is not a waste. Obviously voting for SOMEone is better, but a protest vote is better than NO vote.

Basically if you don't vote, you show you don't care.

If you put NONE on the form, across all names... you show that you are unwilling to vote for any of them and you are unhappy. You are then put into the % of people who said 'none of the above,' and if 100's of 1000's of people did that, it would narrow the majority for the winner, and also make the establishment sit up and take notice. It was only 0.3% last time, but imagine if it was 10%, and the other parties scores were too low for anyone to be a majority because of it?

www.votenone.org.uk/protest_votes_count.html

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-spoil-you-ballot-paper_uk_592eb1cbe4b0e95ac1955386

I think a 'none of the above' option is what I will be going for, after thinking it through. I have too many reservations about Labour and Corbyn, AND Conservatives and May.

If I voted for either one, I think I would regret it as soon as I left the polling station. Thanks for your help folks.

Vote with your heart. If you like Labour's ideas, given them a chance to try.

I think if you care for the NHS, mainstream education, the rights of people who have a disability then Labour is the only choice.

If however you have or value private education and private health care, well then you don't need to worry about dismantling the NHS and mainstream education ..........

It is a silly pointless gesture.

Do you think anyone cares? Do you think anyone cares whether you were making a grand dramatic gesture or that you are just too dim to work out how to cast a vote?

(Said having worked at a count)

Apparently a 'spoiled' vote or 'protest' vote is counted and is not a waste. Obviously voting for SOMEone is better, but a protest vote is better than NO vote.

A spoiled vote is not counted except in the sense it has to be counted by the people who count the ballot papers. They have to get their totals to tally with the number of votes in the box from each polling station.

When the table completes a box one of the counters has to inform the tellers what the votes cast were. This includes the number of spoilt ballots.

It is pathetic and pointless. Read the manifestos and choose which one you like best. Or don't bother - nobody gives a shit about what you write on a spoiled vote. Nobody!

I see what you're trying to do, but it doesn't change the majority. Because the person who gets in still gets in. You've not taken anything from them, they either have the seat or they don't. So yes spoil it if you must (and write something interesting for the sake of the counters) but don't imagine that you're diminishing someone's power, because I don't think you are

You are then put into the % of people who said 'none of the above,'

You really aren't. You are put in the pile of spoilt ballots.

Oh FFS! Now people are saying just don't bother if you can't be arsed to do it properly. All this week people have been slaughtered for saying they are not going to vote. And now I am being bashed for saying I will put 'none of the above.'

It's a well documented fact that the gesture IS still acknowledged if you do that, and the ballot papers ARE counted, and it's better than not voting. Plenty of sources confirm it. And I am not DIM thank you very fucking much @lasswithedelicatehair Thanks for your fucking useless contribution to my thread.

I get it, you're all pissed off that I am not voting for Corbyn. Tough shit.

I think I'll do what I want, and that is a NONE OF THE ABOVE stance.

Don't like it??? Tough bollocks.

Goodnight.

And thanks to the ones who DID give constructive advice to me, and didn't talk to me like I'm a thick cunt.

Who do you think will win OP? How about voting for the biggest loser as a protest vote to reduce the winners majority?

Or vote for the least objectionable small party.

Sorry OP, I didn't refresh my page for ages so didn't see your last post before I posted!!

FWIW I would not have tried to persuade you to vote for 'my party' as I hate that sort of thing.

It's a well documented fact that the gesture IS still acknowledged if you do that, and the ballot papers ARE counted

Have you actually been at a count?

I did not say you were dim. Try reading what I said.

The people who count the ballot papers are not interested in or care whether a voter makes a grand dramatic gesture of "None of the above" or has simply made a mess of the ballot. Both happen.

The only thing that matters is your paper cannot be recorded as a vote for any candidate.

A spoilt ballot is only "counted" in this sense.

The number of papers in the ballot box is , let's say 2,000. The tellers have to produce a tally of let's say 1500 Labour, 300 Tory , 195 Lib Dems and 5 spoilt adding up to 2,000.

Nobody cares how you spoilt your paper unless the tally was 1,000 Labour , 995 Tory and 5 spoilt. The returning officer will have to re-check the spoilt ones. "None of the above " will still have no effect whatsoever.

Or to put it another way OP the ballot box has 2,000 papers in it. 990 of them say "None of the above" 6 are for Labour and 4 are for Tory. Labour wins.

It's a democracy- do what you want but "None of the above" is a silly, pointless gesture.

You keep mentioning the Bedroom tax as a Tory policy. I think it was actually originally a Labour one.

Oh OP and I am not "pissed off" that you are not voting for Corbyn. I'm not voting for Corbyn.

Why did women protest all them years ago yes that's it for women's rights and to be equal I'm personally voting conservatives but don't let your vote go to waste as it's people like you who decide not to vote or fuck up your voting paper that will be the biggest moaner when you don't get the result you really wanted