Is it better to spoil your paper or just not vote?

[cremeeggsonboxingday]

I am really struggling with deciding who to vote for tomorrow in the local election. To be honest, I can't bring myself to vote for any of them. I'm just wondering what would be the best way to make an impact. Would a low voter turn out send a message or would it be better to write exactly what I think of them all on my paper?

Yabu = don't vote
Yanbu = spoil your paper

This time around and the last few times, there is no compromise to be had. Women matter. It's that simple.
I mean I've found a compromise this time but I'm not happy about it

With respect you've just contradicted yourself.

Hmm probably should have been clearer.
Previously I've spoiled ballots because of my one important issue. This time ive found a potential party.
But I'm years deep into my one issue and others are new to it. This is the first time any party has even held out a shred of hope about my one issue. So I'm going for it. Newcomers maybe feel the same way I did in several previous elections and will prefer to spoil. Which I think I'm waffling on trying to say that its legitimate and ok to do.

FWIW I cant go to vote until about 9pm. Things may yet happen to make me spoil instead.

"Sorry but I don't agree with spoiling a paper at all.
No one cares when you do this. No one reads it. No one notes down your issue or problems.
It'll go in a pile for spoiled papers but literally, it will count for nothing."

Yes, it will go onto the pile of spoiled papers along with people who haven't filled in the polling card correctly or have made other, similar errors.

Vote tactically if you wish to protest against the current govt. I'm voting Green, for their local policies, but I would anyway.

If you turn up to vote and spoil your ballot paper (or actually vote), your name will appear on the marked register. NOT how you vote as this is obviously completely anonymous.

This is useful as political parties can hold this data. Therefore they will know that you are engaged but not know how you vote.

They will want to talk to you all the more because they will be (hopefully) trying to win your vote for next time.

Expect to be canvassed!!

I've just voted - spoilt my ballot for the first time since I started voting at 18, and wrote on it exactly why I did so.

Absolutely pointless. They won't record your reasons. It will be put with all the others.

The absolute majority of spoiled ballots are for filling in the polling cards incorrectly. Overall numbers can be taken as an indicator. But it's lazy protest, as has been said, and better to vote tactically.

I'm voting independent only. In Scotland so get more than one vote, but I refuse to vote for any party. They are all shit. I think the more independents that get votes, the more nervous parties will get and the more they will actually do their fucking job, rather than piss about on unimportant things.

God I'm so sick of being scolded by people who don't even know how election counts work and how number-crunchy the local party scrutineers are in closely contested wards.

Anyway I'm back from 'Respect My Sexing' my ballot. Felt OK actually.

Me too. I respect my sex-ed my vote. I also know, from experience, it will be noticed in the count.

In Scotland we're being advised to go and write Respect My Sex on the ballot paper if you wish to spoil your vote.

All spoiled ballots are read out to candidates and agents by the Returning Officer before the result is announced.

A spoilt ballot is a very weak way to send a message.

You make some very good points, but I suppose it also depends on whether your intent is to actually send a message (whether PA or not) or simply to participate in something that you believe is a positive thing to do in the best way that you feel you can.

I think the very fact that tactical voting is accepted as 'A Thing' in the first place is testament to the many failings of our system of 'democracy'.

Also, just as spoiling your ballot could equally indicate a rejection of the choices on offer or a mistake, staying at home instead of going out to vote could also be interpreted in different possible ways: that you don't deem any of the candidates worthy of your vote OR that you are struggling (practically/physically/intellectually) to engage in the voting.

By way of analogy, take the instance of elderly people internet use. I realise that many older people happily do go online regularly, but a great many don't at all. You could have endless schemes designed around helping them to understand it, accessibility for those whose eyesight isn't what it was, ways to help them find, afford and set up the right hardware etc. - but you have no surefire way of knowing how many people are frustrated at not getting the help they need as opposed to those (I'd guess the majority) who simply aren't interested in the slightest and do not want anybody trying to get them online.

I'm not suggesting it would happen anytime soon, nor am I saying that it's more incumbent on women than men because of history; but if you end up with huge majorities of people never going out to vote at all, you leave the door open for those who get into power (voted in by a minority) to claim that democratic elections are clearly not what the people want - that they manifestly don't care or trust themselves to make the right decision and are happy for 'wiser' people to choose the leaders on their behalf. This is exactly one of the 'arguments' that was made repeatedly in favour of continuing to deny women the vote: men were more knowledgeable about politics and thus better-placed to make that choice on their own, especially as the womenfolk had other things such as housework and babies with which to occupy their little minds.

Regardless of how you use it, 'use it or lose it' could eventually end up applying to voting, just as much as to anything else.

mellongoose put it much better and more succinctly than I did.

I mean, there are only so many meaningful ways that you can send a strong message about the lack of a meaningful choice on voting day, and most of them are illegal.

Having done vote counting before I can honestly say it isn't worth spoiling your vote. It's only seen by one person (the counter) and then included in the overall numbers, but isn't really looked into much further then that.

You are much better to vote tactically instead!

Oops put this on the wrong thread!

No independent candidates that you could vote for?

That's simply not true.

All the people saying "vote tactically" or "pick the least worse option" - I'm in a constituency with two candidates. TWO. Who are as bad as each other. There's no tactical voting involved - I don't want either! That's not a choice!

I've 'respect my sex' my vote and it felt like the right choice. I want to vote, just not for the two poor options I have.

Same here @Giveaschitt. I wrote 'Liars' and 'Don't know what a woman is' - I think you can guess who the two parties standing were 😆

Sounds like you had the same two choices I had!

I spoilt mine today

I really wish all elections had a ‘none of the above’ box and that this yielding over a certain percentage would trigger voting reform

I don't think its the voting that needs reform.

It's the quality of who we get to vote for

Now that would be nice.