How to spoil your ballot paper

[CandidateX]

I am not telling anyone what to do. I am giving information. This is because I have seen how posters are treated on other threads giving this information, and it isn't very nice!

Do what ever you want, but here is some information about spoilt ballot papers.

If you write on your paper, whatever message, it will NOT BE READ. Except maybe by the counter that puts it into the spoilt ballot paper list. But only if they have time to read it, mostly not.

It will be held up and agreed to be spoilt, in front of a committee open to all parties. but they won't read it, and the person holding it up won't read it. No one has time. Many papers are spoilt. Everyone is tired and busy. No one will be standing close enough to read the words.

There is a lot of talk about spoilt ballot papers being scrutinised by candidates, and this is how to get a message across to them.

NOT TRUE

Ballot papers are not scrutinised if they have been written across.

I have a list of circumstances when I might ask to inspect a paper closely, and papers written on don't come into it. I would not waste my time or anyone else's time on a paper that is clearly deliberately spoilt, because the business of the night is count votes, and there are literally tens of thousands to count, and that is clearly not one of them

The ones that are scrutinised are the ones that MIGHT have a valid vote on them.

So if you want to put a message on your paper to be scrutinised, then it must have something on it that might be counted as a valid vote. That way, people in the confirmation committee will be looking closely at your paper, and only then will they see the message.

A paper that is signed is invalid if the signature can be read.

If you want to spoil your paper then you need to make it worthy of discussion, about whether it has a vote on it or not.

So I suggest a CLEAR vote, for whichever party you dislike least. And your written comment that you want to be read. And a scrawled signature, which is not your name, and not legible.

This, I think, might get your comments read by agents of different parties - because they will be discussing whether this is a valid paper or not, and does that vote count, and is that signature legible. Your vote might or might not be counted in the end, probably not, but possibly, so don't do this if you definitely don't want to be counted.

Of course, the message might still not be mentioned to the candidate, or to anyone else at all, but this is the only way I can think of to get comments on a spoilt ballot paper read, because otherwise it doesn't happen, it is just a count for the spoilt paper party, and no one knows or cares why.

That's just silly as it won't happen.

Imagine if thousands are thinking like you and perhaps they don't vote. The incumbent gets in anyway.

There is always the best of all. No candidate is perfect, but someone will win. It will never be no one winning so why throw a vote away. Thousands of thrown away votes add up.

I don't understand why some people are so anti spoilt ballots, if it's as worthless as you all say, then why argue against it, it doesn't affect you at all.

Yes, this is not the gotcha you think it is. She is writing as a candidate, to people who think that candidates take notice of individual spoilt ballots (as opposed to the number as a whole).

Having worked in many polling stations over the years, it’s amazing how many people think that we have a direct line to the candidates, or that they can write a message to them that is read. I think it is a sad indication that voting is literally the only way some people ever interact with politics (I write emails to my MP all the time!).

Spoiling ballots isn't done to "win".

You never know.
Just imagine how you'd feel if there was one vote in it. Everyone's vote is potentially the decider.
I know some people who didn't vote in the Brexit referendum because they thought remain was a done deal and their vote wouldn't matter.
They were kicking themselves afterwards.

”None of the above” is an option in plenty of jurisdictions. They then also have rules which cover what happens if it wins. It varies depending on the location - it can mean another election is required, it can just be ignored, or other options.

Again, that's not going to happen is it?

Not anti. Just think it's a shame that the vote is thrown away.

Lots of people together make for change.

Lots of people who don't vote don't make change (low turn out and millions not voting and no one cares).

Don't vote. Spoil paper as you wish. It's a shame when people fought and died for freedom but it's still your choice if you want to do it.

No it never happens so the ones who bother to vote win.

Sorry but they are read by the candidates where I count. I doubt they give a shit what it says, but they are read.

Exactly, my choice.

I haven't even said I'm going to spoil my vote, so it's all a bit moot personalising it. But it is a valid option for anyone who wants to be counted if they feel none of the candidates represent them.

Nobody gives a shit about spoiled votes 👍

Might give me a giggle as I count tomorrow but it might also keep me there for hours extra. If something clearly hasn't got a vote such as writing 'soandso is a dickhead' right across the top then it will just be chucked in the spoils pile - the candidates and their crew can ask to check them but I can assure you they won't stand there discussing what's on it they will just check that it isn't a vote. I've also never seen anyone ask to see the spoils in all the times I've counted.

If you write 'soandso is a dickhead' next to said dickhead's name then there is a risk that it could be declared a vote for said dickhead. They still won't read what it says or tell anyone what it says they'll just decide if it can be taken as a vote.

I'm not sure what the point is of knowing the amount of them is really. It won't highlight any issues.

Exactly what I said it's your choice. I don't care if you don't vote. I think it's a shame but I don't care, it's not personal.

In the unlikely event the only vote made was a spoilt ballot - well that tells them that 99.99% of the population can’t be arsed to vote and 1 person could but found all the choices so awful they couldn’t make it

but in reality that wouldn’t happen. Low voter turnout gives politicians the idea that people don’t care and they blather on about engagement. Spoiling your ballot says you are engaged but none of them are offering you what’s important.

I don’t agree with ‘none of the above’ though. I wonder in those countries how it works if that option does win! There must be contingencies for that.

in the mayoral election I voted for a single issue independent as I think that is an issue that needs to be taken more seriously. Unfortunately I don’t have that choice now. So I will go along and have a good think in the booth but I’m not committing to vote

I care about politics and about the fact that our ancestors fought for our voting rights, so I want to show up. I can't in good conscience choose any of the available candidates, so I'm spoiling my ballot. That simple.

There's no 'least bad' in my constituency for me - it's a little like asking me to vote for what type of bread I want for my shit sandwich. I do not want any of these sandwiches, they are all shit. I'm spoiling my ballot to say yes, I like the idea of sandwiches, but this selection is unacceptable.

Don't care if nobody reads whatever I write on it. My name gets ticked off for the turnout, that's why I'm doing that instead of staying home.

My DH was closely involved in local politics for a good few years and stood for election several times.
As such, he always went to the count and tells me the spoilt ballot papers were put aside then scrutinised closely, even argued over, if there was any chance that a scrawl or mark of some kind close to a box could be interpreted as a vote for that candidate. Even if someone had X-ed all the boxes -- was one X larger than another?

At the last general election there was a small movement to try to urge people to spoil their ballots in the hope that if enough voters did so it would be newsworthy and thr numbers, or at least percentages , would be reported in the national press or TV news. It didn't come to much, I think.
But it's not doing nothing -- not voting at all would be doing nothing.