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Original poster

Spoilt ballot paper as valid protest 'vote'?

41 replies

Gashtray · 06/05/2010 21:17

Not telling whether or not I did this, but what do people think about the validity of spoiling one's ballot paper as a form of protest?

Genuinely interested to hear views on this.

OP posts:
scurryfunge · 06/05/2010 21:18

Completely pointless

Lulumaam · 06/05/2010 21:18

think it is pointless

better to do a tactical vote or vote for a local independent party

Hulababy · 06/05/2010 21:18

Can see the point.

MegSophandEmma · 06/05/2010 21:18

I think fair play to them. At least they made their point.

CharlieBoo · 06/05/2010 21:18

Waste of time

Cobwebsontheceiling · 06/05/2010 21:19

Stupid waste of time

traceybath · 06/05/2010 21:19

Depends how you 'spoilt' it.

The people counting it might just think you were a bit dim and didn't know how/where to put a cross

I don't think the people counting put spoilt in a special section saying 'protest' do they?

textpest · 06/05/2010 21:20

It is stupid, sorry to be harsh but if you don't vote you can't complain! Plus the vote counters just send them for shredding and have no idea who wastted their vote.

PricklyThistle · 06/05/2010 21:20

Would consider doing it if there was absolutely no party I could support.

ASecretLemonadeDrinkerDAVE · 06/05/2010 21:20

I think it makes more sense to write "no suitable candidate", but I guess that counts as spoiling? Or write a dirty joke

ASecretLemonadeDrinkerDAVE · 06/05/2010 21:21

The vote gets counted still though, for turnout, so better than staying at home...

Rosieeo · 06/05/2010 21:22

Yep, I considered it. Spoiled papers are registered and if you really feel you can't vote for a party, I can't see the problem. At least you made the effort.

ASecretLemonadeDrinkerDAVE · 06/05/2010 21:22

I guess if one year it all went tits up and like 50% spoilt their vote in protest, it would spark some kind of reaction?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 06/05/2010 21:23

My sister said she was just going to write "I dont want to vote for any of the bastards" on hers. But im not sure if she was serious or not.

OP You're not my sister are you??

KurrisSeatisNotMarginal · 06/05/2010 21:25

Well the spoilt ones get counted in the turnout figure AFAIK, so if a huge number of people did it, it would probably make some sort of statement.
But if there's a reasonable range of views covered by candidates, I think most people would be able to make a choice. If it was for example only v. right wing parties on offer, I would probably spoil mine.

TidyBush · 06/05/2010 21:25

I did it one year when one of our local councillors died a few weeks before the local elections. Instead of waiting for the scheduled election the majority party insisted on calling a by-election, so we had two elections within a month.

I was so annoyed at the amount of money this must have cost that I wrote my opinion on the ballot paper for the by-election and then voted at the scheduled election.

I would never not vote, but would mark my paper "none of the above" if I really couldn't choose.

chaosisawayoflife · 06/05/2010 22:14

Somebody on here the other day (sorry, can't be bothered to hunt for link but I think it was in Politics) said that all spoilt votes are put before representatives to the candidates to decide whether they are spoilt or genuine votes for a particular candidate. One person had written 'bastard', 'bitch' etc next to all of the candidates apart from one where they had written 'this one please' and that was considered to be a legitimate vote. So all spoilt votes are seen by the parties (locally).

Original poster
Gashtray · 06/05/2010 22:42

Chaos: interesting - I didn't know that spoilt votes are put before representatives. Love the story .

In one of the most solid Tory seats in the country, a spoilt ballot seems no more a waste of time than, say, voting for an independent.

I think no action that is counted in the voting turnout is a 'waste of time'. I do accept that when you spoil a ballot, your reasons for doing so are not registered in any valid way, but the same applies if you vote for (for example) the Greens as a way of avoiding voting for (for example) Labour rather than for their policies.

OP posts:
SpiderObsession · 06/05/2010 22:45

I'm all for it if that's what you want to do. It's better for a spoilt vote to be counted as a protest vote than to be lost in the apathy of not voting.

NathanBarley · 06/05/2010 22:54

I think, go for it. If you do a good swear you might at least shock an elderly volunteer.

oceryo · 06/05/2010 22:54

I think it's a waste of time.

I also think it's a useless way of "protesting". Has anything ever changed as a result of people spoiling ballot papers?

Even if most papers were spoiled, then what? What exactly would change? Politicians would "sit up and think what to do differently"? Each party is already doing what its members think best, and a spoilt paper doesn't tell them anything at all about what exactly you want them to do differently. If it is a "protest" it's about as unspecific as you can get.

It would be far more positive even just to vote for any of the parties except your least favourite(s).

thegirlwithsomethingextra · 06/05/2010 22:56

I can see the point of it. My mum did it in the local elections because there were no candidates standing that she would vote for.

2rebecca · 06/05/2010 22:59

If you try and get PR then it's more likely there will be a candidate you want to vote for as minority parties with no rich donors can stand without losing their deposits.
I think a spolied ballot paper is a cop out.
Life is often about choosing the least worse option.

Buzzybb · 06/05/2010 23:05

Love that story Chaosis I was involved in previous elections and yes all ballots that were 'questionable' were put before the candidates and or the party reps. The debates were interesting and we always knew who needed the vote by how indignant they were. Fun times, but because of this and the fact that your vote may be used to benefit a party/person you did not want I always advocate tactical voting,

sanfairyann · 06/05/2010 23:14

completely disagree it is a cop out - a cop out is not bothering to vote at all. why should you vote for the least crap of a bad lot if you don't want to? it's no more a waste of a vote than 90% ish of most of our votes - fptp means your vote only counts if you happen to live in a marginal constituency and want to vote in a certain way. if you live somewhere with a 19000 majority one way or another, going to vote at all is pretty much a waste of time for 18,999 people

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