Best way to register a protest vote?

[AIstolemylunch]

What's the best way for someone that having see all the manifetos now can't vote for any the mainparties?

One - Cross through all the boxes on the right and write 'NO VOTE' across names - so they know it's a specific no vote and gets recorded as such, rather than as 'voter intention unclear'

Two - Don't go out to vote so contribute to 'historic low voter turn out' to indicate disatisfaction with all the main parties, and indeed British politics today as a whole?

Three - Vote for an independent (if standing)?

A week ago I’d have said stand yourself but it’s too late. Think about it for next time.

If you dont like any of the candidates / parties - then let them know by spoiling your ballot

And when I am posting on DadsNet or similar, I will raise that.

However while men are here, the majority of people on MUMSnet, are women, so thanks for the mansplaining, but no thanks

haha - I saw the first part of your name, and thought you were that poster

Apologies

Manifestos have only been launched this week. Leaflets will now start going out.

I didn't vote until the election that got Tony Blair in.

I didn't have a clue about politics, I didn't know what left and right wing meant. I didn't understand about parliament or house of Lords. I didn't know the difference between general election and local election.

I wasn't taught in school, I wasn't taught by my parents. I didn't give a shit about a bunch of old white men and didn't understand what the hell they were ever talking about.

I also didn't know what suffragettes were. I didn't know women weren't allowed to vote until recently.

So calling people lazy for not voting is shitty. Not everyone gets a decent education at school or home. And asking questions usually gets people mocking your stupidity or straight up laughing in your face.

I'm in my 40s now and learned a lot since my 20s. But I'm politically homeless too now. Might just spoil my paper with "woman = adult human female".

Despite fighting tooth and nail for the Labour Party in 2017 and 2019.

It is all so worrying and heartbreaking.

They do read them out actually. People do care. I've been to counts and what people write on the spoiled votes do actually get seen and read out.

Please please vote, if you don't then this shit show will just continue.

In your position I I really think the best option is voting for Monster Raving Loony Party. If enough people do that then maybe just maybe they might get the message.

The average constituency in England has 70,000 voters living in 30-40,000 households.

No candidate can possibly knock on every door and only a few parties have enough volunteers and resources to deliver leaflets to all.

Your expectations of personal contact are unrealistic.

Spoilt ballots are counted so you can see your protest in the ballot

This is a myth.

They are only counted informally and at the local level of your local polling booth/hut/school hall. They are shown to the candidates as part of the process of transparency to prove that the polling officers are counting up all the votes fairly. But that's it. No data collected, no statistics presented to the political parties, no records kept year on year.

Essentially, what the OP wants to do is protest in order to have some influence. Not just for her own gratification, in which case she could equally just go and kick the fence outside the polling booth for the same effect.

OP - there are ways you can have some influence. Voting is the easiest, and the others take incrementally more effort (eg lobbying your MP). We can give you ideas. Please let us know what you want - what policy change are you after?

I'd do this in your shoes, with a lack of decent indie. It's a protest, plus they have a hope of getting their deposit back as well.

I'm still waiting on my indie to answer the Sex Matters' questions. If they don't answer (or don't answer in a way to support women's rights), I'll spoil my vote (our other candidates are the main 4 + Reform).

Loving the outrage about potentially being interns / party workers, given the most common accusation if somebody expresses a positive comment re the Tories is that they're a 'Tory shill' or 'Tory HQ'.

Eh?

The results / vote breakdown is published every year. My local council's website has the spoilt vote count for all elections on it. Attached are the results for a local ward in the council election in 2021 and the last GE result.

Somebody is collating and storing that info.

Not voting means "I don't care"

If the message you want to give is "all the main parties are shit" you need to either vote for a candidate who isn't from the main parties or spoil your ballot.

I count votes for elections.

Both turnout and spoiled ballots are recorded. Turnout is generally reported on more than spoilt ballots. Both figures are ready on the night and reported on the council website. There is no difference between someone who has made a mistake and voted twice and someone who has deliberately not voted for anyone or protested.

Anything other than a cross (or tick) in one box goes into one tray when they are sorted. They are then taken to the candidates and their representatives to decide jointly if they are actual votes for someone or not.

I can't say if they read what you write or not. I would guess not unless it is literally a couple of words. If hey think a paper is an intended vote and all the candidates agree on it and who it is for, then it is added to their figures. The remainder of spoilt ballots are counted together.

The best 'protest' vote I saw was when someone had drawn a penis in the box next to a candidate and written I think they are a dick but they are the best of the options. It was counted as a vote for that person, but they and all the other candidates definitely read and deliberated over it.

Who is 'we'?

Parties tend to actively campaign only in those seats they think they can win - or at least persuade a large number of voters, in the case of the smaller parties. It is a matter of using finite resources wisely.

Perhaps you live in a very safe seat?

It costs the parties money to produce leaflets (although usually it is volunteers who put them through letterboxes).

Most people don't donate to political parties. You want them to court your vote and are basically expecting somebody else to stump up the funds required to gratify your desire.

I think that spoiling your ballot is a legitimate expression of your democratic homelessness.

The mumsnet users on this thread who are encouraging you not to spoil your ballot but to take a constructive action instead.

Sure

This has been really useful btw so thank you for your thoughts, no matter what the motivation. Ive ruled out not voting at all now so the choice is clearer.

I'm surprised you haven't had any leaflets etc. we're very blue here and I've had personal letters from both sir Kier and Rachel Reeves and a stupid leaflet from our current conservative MP who hadn't even bothered to address it apart from dear residents of xxxxx.

Please vote as then at least you can't be accused of 'not being allowed to moan as you didn't have your say'

I'm just choosing a party that has some things in their manifesto that I agree with.

Have you tried https://uk.isidewith.com?
It might help you see the wood for the trees, and rule some candidates in or out.