To let people know how to spoil their ballot?

[HoofWankingSpangleCunt]

Today 13:59HoofWankingSpangleCunt

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.

Subject:
To let people know how to spoil their ballot?

Message:
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.

I'm going to pop my AIBU Vote Button cherry on this thread as it seems apt.
*Or whatever the local issue is.

jpharm brilliant. I'm going to practise my anatomically correct vulva drawing.

If I wanted to spoil my ballot I would just write "None of the above" on it.

It isn't rocket science and I don't need web pages to instruct me on how to do it.

Spoilt ballots are counted in the UK. They feature in the statistics for each constituency.

I am more considering voting Labour or Green though this time around.

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt What do you suggest that I, and the disillusioned other voters do then? Because if you can come up with a solution that's better I'm all for it.

I suggest you thoroughly research all of the political parties and either make a vote based on "lesser of all evils", or elect to spoil your vote. I think it better to spoil a vote than not vote at all. But I don't reckon it will catch on and frankly I wouldn't want it to based on the issues I raised previously.

Long term, if you want to affect change then I suggest you get involved in local party politics and take a stand for what you believe in. Take a leading role in your community and raise your voice for the changes you want to see happen. If you don't have the time or inclination for that, then be vocal and public about putting pressure on your locally elected councillors and MPs. These people are paid good money to represent your constituency and I think you should make them earn that privilege. In terms of things you could do; start a local Facebook community page where you can encourage other locals to also add their voices to much needed causes etc. For instance our town has a "TownWatch" page, where locals can advise each other of traffic incidents, burglaries, bogus callers, local events etc. We have local councillors on the page and we can tag them we want answers to things. Its low effort but high impact and helpful for the local area. You should attend your local councillors meetings in the local town halls etc and ask them the pertinent questions. Put them under some pressure and see what answers they have, or how they go about finding you the answers and resolutions. Doing all these things will help you see who you want or don't want to vote for!

A spoiled vote is pointless. No political party will look at the numbers of spoiled votes and think let’s win them over somehow.

I live in a very safe constituency. The party I want to win will very likely come 3rd/4th with a tiny percentage of the vote. I don’t want to vote for the party that always comes second but I’d rather they had power than the current safe MP so I am placing a tactical vote for the only real competition.

Has anyone actually bothered to read the website?

Spoilt ballots that are clearly protest votes, are counted.

Where its unclear what the voters intention was,they are basically discarded, however the fact that person voted at all is still shown in the turn out figures.

If there are signficant numbers of intentionally spoilt protest vote ballots, that WILL be reported on, and those voters are counted in teh overall turnout figures.

So theres a BIG difference between 30% voted for A, 20% voted for B and 50% didn't show up... vs 30% voted for A, 20% voted for B and 50% spoilt their ballot and told the country to go fuck itself.

Voter turn out figures are important, and being able to tell the difference between 'couldn't be arsed' and 'can't bring myself to vote for any of these tossers' is useful information.

Yes, its not AS useful as voting for one of the available options, but its significantly better than not turning out and voting at all.

YABU I would always vote for a donkey if that was one of the options. They’re ace.

antisupermum thanks for taking the time to write that very useful post. You have certainly given me food for thought. I like the idea of being more politically active from my sofa. I'm not as spry as I used to be and see above re DS. I'm certainly going to look again at the local opportunities.

I'm just fed up of voting for the least shit party. In fact, I have let my party membership lapse in the face of increasing shite churned out by them. But you're right, I can only effect change from the inside. So, I will do two things. Start up my membership again of The Least Shit Party and become a bit more vocal. And look at things like your TownWatch.

I still think I'm going to spoil my vote this election though, we're a very safe Tory seat. In the past I have shied away from spoiling as I would think about the possibility of my vote being one to make a difference and get The Least Shit Party finally elected but I just don't think that's likely any more.

Spoilt papers count for nothing, someone just checks if it invalid, has a laugh if a really stupid thing is written on it and it is put in a pile. They are just counted so the number of papers is correct.

Either don’t bother to vote or vote for the least worse option

widdlin thank you!
Hun good point, I hadn't thought that through. I should probably have said the local Arachnid Appreciation Party. As an aside, I think donkeys could probably govern the country better than our current lot.

God almighty. Well I’ve read it all now.

This is quite probably the most important exercise of democracy you have in the UK, and especially about Brexit, and you want to spoil your fucking votes?

Votes women fought and died to get for themselves and you, and you want to what??????

Let me tell you, a government will be elected no matter what you scribble on the ballot, and you’ll deserve everything you didn’t vote for.

A spoilt vote can be spoiled for any number of reasons. Nobody cares why. It’s just counted as a spoilt paper. No point in voting if you’re going to do that. May as well stay at home & not bother.

That’s why we need a none of the above box! To show the parties that they have failed to convince us. Maybe then they will up their game?
Should have to win by a % of total votes cast, that way a none of the above vote will mean something and be looked at.

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt
What do you suggest that I, and the disillusioned other voters do then?

You need to knuckle down and make a bloody decision and pick someone to vote for. This stupid waffling and purity testing is what got the UK Brexit and gave America Trump in the first damn place. Have you not learned your lesson(s) in the last 3 years?? Do you want a(n even more) fascist state with crippling poverty or not? Because that’s what it comes down to at this point. Pull your finger out.

Good grief

Do not spoil your ballot paper - that is really a waste!
If everyone votes for least shit party, the Safe seat holder will see their margin fall & maybe start listening!
Or vote for party you believe in. That is a positive statement.
Just don’t waste your vote because that is all a spoilt ballot paper is!

Do not spoil your ballot paper - that is really a waste!If everyone votes for least shit party, the Safe seat holder will see their margin fall & maybe start listening!

Absolutely!

Spoiling a vote is idiotic. Emily Pankhurst must be delighted she fought for the women’s vote.

The politicians could care less who spoils their vote or if their is a low turnout so you are sending no message. All they want is to be in power.

Study

Sorry to disappoint you but it makes no difference how you spoil your ballot paper. There is no such thing as registering a protest vote, or counting of protest votes.

All spoiled papers (whether completed as you suggest or with pictures drawn on them, or numbers instead of crosses, or obscenities are placed in one pile.

At the end of counting candidates and agents are called together by the returning officer to examine these. Then that is it. The total number is recorded but not the number of 'none of the above's or penis drawn or whatever else people chose to spoil their vote..

I had attended election counts on more than 30 occasions and can assure that this is how it is done.

I don’t disagree that too large a percentage of today’s politicians are not up to the job, including some of the actual leaders, but I would do some serious reading, understanding and thinking before deliberately spoiling my ballot paper this time. I don’t vote for individuals, I vote for the party whose manifesto, principles, promises are going to be best for me, my loved ones and my principles.
Our whole political system is in a shambles and really needs a drastic overhaul, but spoiling my vote won’t help.

What @Totallypearshaped said

This is quite probably the most important exercise of democracy you have in the UK, and especially about Brexit, and you want to spoil your fucking votes?

My vote (and that of OP’s, it sounds like) WILL NOT do anything for democracy. My constituency will never be anything but blue Tory bastards. Safe as safe as safe.

I don’t like the policies of political leaders of any of the opposition. None of them will commit to another referendum on Brexit. Policies on other issues are also shit.

Our entire democratic process is based on a stupid first past the post system that disenfranchises voters.

I can’t NOT vote. I’ve never not voted. I want a protest vote- a meaningful one.

Spoiling my ballot seems about as useful in my constituency as anything else I could do.

Women died for us to be able to vote. One of them WILL be in power regardless of your spoilt vote - you may as well use your legal right and have a say. One of them will represent your views on a service you use - education, NHS, transport. Pick one, and vote.

Being sanctimonious about the "power" of a spoilt ballot is SUCH a waste.

Emily/Emmaline Pankhurst fought for the rights of the rich women to vote , The working class had no such vote for years.

@NoSquirrels I have the same problem but with a different political party .

My constituency will never be anything but blue Tory bastards.

But if you don't vote and many others do the same then that is definitely never going to change. At least a shift in voting patterns would represent a change of opinions even if the seat remained conservative. That said, if the conservatives win the seat every time then that's just democracy at work.

reginafelangee has explained the counting system really well. I have helped at several counts as well as manning polling stations and that is exactly what will happen.

A better way to get your voice heard is to read all you can on each party and work out who you think will be the best at serving the country and then vote for them. Uk historically has a very low turn out at all elections so if more people voted it would be so much better....