Protest vote

[jessywoo]

From following other threads which say that messages written on spoiled ballots are largely ignored I'm thinking that surely a large number of spoiled ballots from the same demographic (women) all writing the same message would be noticed ? My question is, is there a single message that women who can't bring themselves to vote for any of the candidates are planning on using? Is it : if you can't respect my sex you don't deserve my x ?
Or am I way off the mark here? My husband keeps waving "women died for your right to vote " at me but my reply is that, that's not the only right they died for and voting for anyone currently on offer seems disrespectful to them ?
A protest vote seems appropriate in my opinion?

I have been thinking about this. The slight problem being that the Tories do have a policy on single sex spaces, etc. even though they pretty much ignored it while in power. That point of view is represented on the ballot (also reform and SDP). I am consoling myself with the thought that the battles are going to be fought elsewhere over the next five years and whatever very minor protest we make at the ballot box won't make much of a difference. I think I'd put something like 'Labour can't be trusted on women's rights' not very snappy but how I feel about them right now.

I wrote "Adult human female" across my last ballot paper. Short and to the point. What the ballot counters thought about it I have no idea.

Seems like a desperate and obvious turn around to pick up votes from women turning away from labour!
The term politically homeless seems so appropriate! I definitely don't want to move in with the tories or reforms!

I have been at election counts and such comments are not recorded or noted, it's simply a spoilt ballot (or not if accompanied by a clear vote). So a waste of time I'm afraid.

you are way off the mark - this is what happens to spoilt votes, they are piled up, a time is set, an official states the reason for not counting the vote - the voting paper is held up, anyone present can agree or challenge the reason.

"anyone present" is generally a maximum of one person from each party, normally the most bored person who has already had their maximum possible caffeine intake and thinks a walk over to the odd corner where this is done might help them stay awake - often parties send nobody at all.

This is done several times, in several corners, but really, nobody cares what is written, or even sees. They just stand where they can see yes, the paper is spoilt, but not close enough to see how.

The only discussion is ever about "voter intention unclear" because sometimes a tick has narrowly missed a box, and it is actually fairly evident which box, for example, then people take it in turns to approach and look carefully and then say if they think the voter intention can be assumed or not.

I have stood by these and looked carefully at ballet papers, looking specifically for the ones that say "adult human female" or similar. There are some if you look, but mostly you have to position your self right at the barrier to see, and people generally don't and they don't even look in the general direction, a lot of the time.

Even me, trying to read the papers often can't. Some just have one word messages, like WANKERS or something written across them, and if it is large and clear it might be visible

so voting papers that are disqualified are disqualified in an open and transparent manner, but that means people check the procedure is open and transparent, not that they check the individual papers.

no one sees what is written on them beyond the counter who removes them and the official who holds them up, and they probably don't care.

So if you are going to write anything, mega large and short and maybe in a thick red pen, or something,- and more people will see it, but probably not politicians, and noone will really be counting or remembering

They didn't think anything or record anything, or respond in any way, it is just a voting paper the same as any other, and is put in the appropriate pile and passed on

Ok thanks,
That's good to know!

Counts during covid restrictions did display spoiled ballots on large screens so they could be checked without breaking the 2 metre rules. Shame they've dropped that.