To instigate a mass ballot spoiling?

[NobodyToVoteForNow]

With the local elections a few weeks away, and with a heavy heart, I've had to admit to myself there's literally no political party that recognises women as a distinct sex class with distinct legal protections under equalities legislation. And of course the added racism of the two main parties rules them both out anyway.

Knowing that candidates often have to help officials decide what spoiled ballots 'mean' - (do they represent a vote cast for a particular candidate or not?) gives me hope that this is a small way to get the message across at a local level.

I'm going to spoil my ballot with a hashtag that demonstrates the bitter irony of this occurring a hundred years since female suffrage. I'm a bit short on catchy slogans though, so if anyone else is thinking along similar lines, perhaps we could pool our ideas and come up with something fitting?

Thinking of drawing a peace sign on mine.

I've been pondering how to do this for ages, since I left the LP.

A sticky label with pre-written content - the dictionary definition of 'women' with 'if any of y'all define women as women, give me a call. Until then - none of you are worth my vote' is too wordy.

We really do need an agreed way of spoiling the ballot that gets the message across to people who do not understand what the issue is.

Agreed TERFragette. Distribution of stickers could be tricky, but I like your thinking.

I think communicating to those who don't know anything about it could be a real challenge. Especially when you think of the less metropolitan bits of the country.

I keep wanting to paraphrase Bob Dylan: #100YearsOfVotingNowYouDon'tKnowWhatAWomanIs

Too wordy?

Distribution of stickers could be tricky, but I like your thinking

We could distribute the file that prints onto stickers though :)

Agree op it’s a great idea I feel just the same. Partyless since labour descended into madness

I was thinking of using the existing #SexMatters tag - it does at least link to an campaign with lots of evidence already online.

Either writing it as a new entry below the candidate list or written across the checkboxes for all candidates (in big red pen)

YABU

Ballot spoiling achieves nothing in terms of policy.

Research and vote for the candidates that can represent your interests as much as possible. Or run as a candidate.

If you spoil your ballot then please don't complain when the party whose policies you detest gets in.

But you will.....

Having been involved in several counts over the years, it is unlikely that the candidate themselves will get to see the papers. Their agents are sometimes (rarely) asked to check a spoilt paper, but usually it is the count officials that determine whether a paper is spoilt or not. To be checked, the paper would have to be spoilt in such a way that it might possibility be counted as an actual vote - so for yours to be seen in that way, you may end up inadvertently actually having your vote counted for someone you don't want - be careful!

Saisong- the problem with that is that returning officers will just think you're campaigning for legalised prostitution or something. The word sex has been somewhat hijacked.

Do you see the irony in "distinct legal protections under equalities legislation"?

Well said Illustriously. Some people are hard of thinking.

seeline I'll have to disagree with you there, having been a candidate myself in the past. If the vote is close, candidates often get to see ambiguous spoilt ballots . As you say, it has to be done in a way that might indicate support for someone.

Equalities isn't about pretending everyone is the same, Engine.

As you say, it has to be done in a way that might indicate support for someone.

But you're not voting for anyone, so even if they read your little memo they won't care because you're not a voter, you're someone that can't make up their mind.

No candidate is going to please everyone with all of their policies. The grown up way to vote is to vote for the candidate that does most or as many as possible of the things you want them to no matter whether they'll get in or not.

Scribbling little ditties that wont' get read is a waste of everyone's time & effort TBH.

As someone who has been involved in politics for twenty years, previously i would have agreed with you, Illustriously.

However, we're not talking differing opinions on street lights and parking restrictions. This situation is unprecedented: for the first time since women won the right to vote there is now not a single UK party that recognises a coherent, logical definition of what a woman is.

This is a big deal.

One small scrawl on a ballot paper is a drop in the ocean. Hundreds across a district can start to make an impact on those politicians who will be watching the count extremely closely.

Is this about racism or politics or just another anti-trans thread?

You started off with a few issues but it's clear what you really want this thread to be about.

oh good, another anti-trans thread. Yes spoil your ballot paper if you want to, that will really make a difference

Engine, the OP's intentions are clear from the opening sentence: I've had to admit to myself there's literally no political party that recognises women as a distinct sex class with distinct legal protections under equalities legislation

I feel the same, OP, and I am also wondering how best to spoil my ballot paper.

They spoke about racism and suffrage before making their objectives a little more clear.

"there is now not a single UK party that recognises a coherent, logical definition of what a woman is"

UKIP do.

www.votenone.org.uk/protest_votes_count.html

I’m thinking

Sex matters
Sex not gender
Woman means something

I’m absolutely not a non-voter. Last few elections I’ve been an activist. But I can’t vote for anyone who tells me a man is a woman because he says so.

If you want to do this read weezols link.

The point to voting AND spoiling is that it means that you ARE counted in votes cast. I call it a vote for democracy. I am not choosing a candidate at the moment but I am using my democratic right. Better than not voting at all and appearing just apathetic.

As to whether you can spoil and make a specific point beyond that, that’s another issue.

I live in a Labour safe seat and will be spoiling my ballot with a clear conscience, the loss of my vote won't affect the outcome.

Labour are a fucking disgrace. They had a real chance to be a strong opposition, and instead they've chosen to be nasty, anti Semitic, misogynist twats.

I'm sick of men telling women to shut up and sit down, that they'll sort it all out after the 'real' issues have been taken care of.
They never fucking do.

I'm not sure there are elections in my area - they're not everywhere, are they? If I were to vote soon I'd be writing "Biology matters. #sexnotgender" & possibly putting XX or XY in the boxes we're supposed to tick, depending on the candidate's sex.