Spoilt ballot papers - the truth!

[Zonder]

So many different views on here about what difference writing a message to candidates on the ballot paper makes.

I have watched counts and am not aware of anyone actually reading such messages and taking note.

Please can anyone who has actually been involved in counts clarify this?

I've read the electoral commission rules but they don't actually specify this. I see so many people say "I'm going to write my POV on the ballot paper because they have to take notice / the candidates will see it."

I'm pretty sure nobody looks beyond whether a paper is valid or spoiled but would love confirmation.

I did the count for the 2019 election. Spoilt ballot papers are put to one side. All candidates have to read the spoilt ballot papers and agree that they are a genuine spoilt ballot, and not a vote for any party. They have to be recorded as a spoilt ballot.

Thank you @DramaLlamaBangBang

Does anyone take note of messages written on them?

No the messages go nowhere really. The staff read them and sometimes get a giggle if it’s a good one. Candidates or agents get shown the spoilts so they do read or at least look at them but can’t say any of them pay attention to it. They’re more interested in the spoilts that could be a vote for them and trying to argue that’s the case. I’d say it’s a pointless things to do but I quite like them, brightens a long night.

I saw some when counting. The majority are spoilt by leaving all boxes blank or crossing all boxes, that kind of thing. There are others that are more ambiguous which get compared to a book with hundreds of possible ways a ballot can be done wrong to see if it counts as valid or not. I remember one voter had written the name of their favourite political party on the front and drawn a logo as there wasn't a candidate for them in our area. Counting is done pretty quick so no one is going to read an essay, but something brief and clear on the front would be seen but only by a few people. And as the previous poster said, the candidates only care about the ambiguous spoilt ballots and whether they have been correctly counted for the right party. It's your ballot though so go ahead and put what you want on it.

Thank you. I've never spoiled a paper and don't intend to but I'm interested because of the people who seem to think they will get a specific message across to candidates who will immediately repent of not holding the same view as that voter

Candidates's agents will see the ballot papers, so if there were a lot of spoiled ballots then the message would be heard.

If there were enough spoilt ballots then the media would take an interest because it would signal a significant unhappiness - the number of spoilt ballots must be declared.

If angry with a specific candidate/party the better option in terms of getting message across is to vote for someone else and send an email expaining why.

If angry with them all, then a spoilt paper is at least a message - you can't be written off as apathetic.

I've counted before nothing really happens to the spoiled papers. You just think 'ugh, a spoiled paper' and chuck it in the spoiled paper pile.

The candidates/agents can review them if they want to, and if any mark is just in one box next to a candidate they can argue that it's a vote for that person. So don't put your protest just in one box or it could end up as a vote.

To be honest though, it's a waste of time, nobody really pays much attention to them.

I’ve spoilt ballots, not because I hold a grandiose opinion that it will have a massive impact on the psyche of the candidate, but because I want to vote and can’t bring myself to endorse any of the options, and like many people I’ve only ever voted in safe seats so it makes no difference anyway. This is like saying that anyone who votes for a particular candidate is presumably doing so in the delusional belief that their single vote will be the one that tips the count. We’re all engaged in exercises of futility, so might has well pick the one that we like the best.

I plan to spoil my ballot this time round for a very specific reason. I’m not under the illusion that the Labour candidate (who is the reason I am spoiling my ballot) will see it, or give a shit if she does, but it’s the only means of protest available to me.

It's not the voting for a candidate or the spoiling of a paper I'm questioning as I think both are valid.

It's the idea that someone can write some comment on there and it will be taken notice of by candidates.

I know the overall number of spoiled ballots will be seen but I'm doubtful of any messages on the papers having an impact.

Candidates don't actually look at them unless it's a close result. If you know that you've won or lost by, say, 5000 votes, you really don't care about 100 spoiled ballots.

Someone drew male genitalia in the box against the Tory candidate at a recent election. No other mark on the paper.

As it was neatly drawn and inside the box, the returning officer decided it counted as a vote for that candidate.

😂

The bottom line is, that most of them know what the public thinks about them. Therefore, no matter what message is left, it will just bypass them

IMO, a vote labour is a vote in the bin as well as Reform, Green lot, lol Liberals, Tories as they are out for themselves and you lot come last by a trillion miles.

Oh there you are, Joe. A vote for the winning party can hardly be counted as a vote in the bin 😂

Who is "you lot" anyway?

IMO, most of them could not care less if 15k votes were trashed as long as they won!!!

I guess "you lot" is anyone who votes for anyone other than this poster's preference, which they have been fairly reticent about so far iirc.