To let people know how to spoil their ballot?

[HoofWankingSpangleCunt]

This election has really brought it home to me how uncomfortable I am voting for any of the three main parties. I don't want to vote for the local Independent on a donkey sanctuary ticket* just because I feel I have to vote for someone. If I do that my concerns about the other parties goes unnoticed.
So tonight Matthew, I'll be spoiling my ballot. It has to be done a certain way to count as spoilt. If enough of us do this then voices will be heard.
advice on how to do it correctly
I'm going to pop my AIBU Vote Button cherry on this thread as it seems apt.
*Or whatever the local issue is.

I had no idea it was so specific, most of the people I know who hate all the options, don't bother their arse.

I've been at several counts, as a counter and on other occasions as a scrutineer. If your paper is spoilt it just goes in a separate pile which is counted at the end. No one gives a toss what is written on it so this article is utter bollocks. Spoil by all means but don't expect anyone to care how you do it. Leaving the paper entirely blank works just as well.

(and I've spoilt myself in the past so I'm not against the idea)

What? If enough people spoil their ballot then a lot of spoiled ballots will be counted. But no voices at all will be heard. If every person in the country spoiled their ballot it would still mean nothing. If this is your idea of engaging in politics, you should take up knitting. Nobody, including the politicians, give a monkeys if you decide to spoil your paper. There will be no public outcry. There will be nothing change as a result.

What a load of cobblers.

Meh. People who do this are no better than those who don’t bother to vote imo. It serves no real purpose. Pick the one out of the three that makes you feel the least uncomfortable and vote for the one whose policies mean the most to you, don’t vote/not vote because of particular people in the party.

I agree with you on not really wanting to vote for any of them and if there was a way to register your disgust I would do it, but this is just wasting your vote.

Vote for policies not personalities. Please vote though, spoiling your ballot makes no sense in an election like this...

What a waste of your right to vote. Spoiling your ballot serves no purpose. If you don't vote, you don't have any right to moan about the way the country is run.

I always anyone who tells me they are not voting to at last spoil their ballot. It's the difference between rage and apathy.

Always tell
At least

Aargh.

I'm using my vote but sneaking in a folded up message inside saying what I think of the Tories.

I used to count votes and the spout comments were the best.

There's no such thing as a "protest vote".

It's a spoilt ballot paper. These are recorded in all elections and declared alongside how many votes each candidate received and the turnout.

Just vote for labour ffs

There's no such thing as a "protest vote".

Exactly! It's just not counted. What an absolute waste!! What do you think is going to happen? The politicians are going to take stock and say 'hey guys, all these spoiled votes are making me want to completely rewrite our manifesto'

Spoiling your vote is akin to saying you're happy with the status quo.

Even if you agree with only some policies of one party, just vote for them.

We need a change and fast and even if you wiped your arse on your voting paper, it still wouldn't be a protest vote. It would get shoved in a pile with all the other none-votes.

You might as well vote for the incumbent MP as spoil your paper. It generally has the same result.

Why would you even waste your energy?

Spoilt votes are all just counted as spoilt, regardless of whether someone's written Corbyn is a cunt across their paper or made a genuine mistake. You're not making any sort of point.

So why did the suffragettes bother?

Try to separate the national issues and look at the candidates in YOUR contingency and see which person comes closest to fitting your beliefs. If their manifestos are anodyne you should be able to see their voting pattern as councillors or if they're already your MP or look back at their media appearances to guard their real views.

Don't waste your vote. If your not humbled by the suffragettes then look at the long crowds queuing in baking sunshine to vote in South Africa.

Did you post this earlier?

I'm not sure I follow those who say it's a wasted vote and you should go for whoever is "closest" to what you want. This time I've seen things that make me deeply uncomfortable in all of the parties' line ups. Why would plumping for one of those make my vote any more worthwhile than spoiling my paper? I don't think the suffragettes fought for compromise...

"It has to be done a certain way to count as spoilt."

No it doesn't.

Anything other than a mark in one box only will count as spoiled (and all spoiled papers will be reported as a single total, there will be no record kept of how the papers were spoiled.

I don't think this is a pro-Tory bot. Not given how many of the threads are in FWR, where they get rather more support than in other topics

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt

Does 'spoiling' your ballot paper, make a difference then? Is it better than not attending at all?

And why does it make a difference? You know, if you are not voting for anyone at all?

Just assume I am thick and clueless.

I think it's a shame to not vote or to spoil it, (after women fought so hard for it.) But then again, you could also say these women fought for not only the right for women to vote, but also for the right for women to have the choice to vote.

If that means not voting because all the parties are all useless, self-serving pillocks who never deliver what they promise, then surely that should be OK too?

Having said that, it doesn't sit well with me to not vote. I didn't vote in 2017, and I felt quite shit about it. First time I didn't vote. (Probably was the last too.....)

How silly. Then, when the outcome is not what you wanted, ask for a re-vote.

As others have said, spoiled ballot papers are all lumped together, so this article is bollocks.

Personally, I think ballot papers should have ‘none of the above’ as an option, and be reported accordingly.

I have worked in elections in Australia where voting is compulsory. So a ballot paper has to be turned in for you to not be fined.
Spoiled ballot papers have a tick in more than one box/penises drawn on them/a long diatribe about the parties- they just go into a 'spoiled' pile. I cannot imagine it being any different in UK.

Easiest way in UK is not vote.

If people are so thick that they need to be told how to spoil their ballot then they don't deserve a vote.
Anyone who doesn't vote forfeits their right to complain about the outcome.