I just spoilt my ballot paper

[KatherinaMinola]

Anyone else? Anyone else going to?

Spoiling a ballot paper is a pointless endevour. The counters won't take the time to read your comments and even if they did, they're just counters not candidates. You're better off voting for the person who most closely aligns with your beliefs and then campaigning to that person when they're (hopefully) voted in.

I wrote "None of the above" and then I wrote a few lines explaining why, Etino. No-one could be in any doubt!

Nobody will read it.

Kitty, they haven’t promised they can get rid of it, but have promised to stand up against it, for the exploited women and the local community having to deal with the fall out.

It’s a labour safe seat, and they support it, so I can’t vote for them.

Nobody will read it.

No, as I said, not if it was one of two. If 50 women in my constituency spoilt their papers and said something similar, those spoilt ballots would be counted and read.

It's like voted for a minority candidate - no, they won't get in. No, it still isn't a wasted vote.

They dont have time to read them. Have you ever been part of a vote count?

No, as I said, not if it was one of two. If 50 women in my constituency spoilt their papers and said something similar, those spoilt ballots would be counted and read.

The ballot will be counted and put on the spoiled pile, that’s all. Vote counters really don’t have the time or inclination to read the protests writings of those who have spoiled their ballot. They are under huge pressure to get the count finished in the small hours of the morning.

Vote counters do not have time to read the messages on spoilt papers but they are pored over by candidates and party workers (in the van hope they may be an actual vote for them rather than a spoilt paper) so there's a good chance that several people will see them.

those little stubby pencils are really loud.

only person in there. they perked up a bit whenI arrived. (turnout traditionally low round here) but did not look impressed after all the scratchy noises...

I left enough ambiguity for them to think I may have voted for one candidate.

pan

it doesn't matter to me if they are read or not.

what matters is they are counted.

If there is a significant rise in spoilt votes, and numbers slightly down on the major parties. Then it shows there is a problem with both their politics.

I think you're kidding yourselves if you think this will be an effective protest. In my opinion you're making a mockery of our right to vote.

I spoilt my paper and told one of the Lab candidates why they both didn't get my vote. She pointed me in the direction of a like-minded local Lab activist - I might pluck up the courage to chat to her next time they're campaigning in town.

I also wrote none of the above on mine, though not just for women’s rights reasons

I cannot understand why anyone would spoil their ballot paper, did the Suffragette movement do it for laughs or did they do what they did so we could have a vote? If you will not vote for Labour which is perfectly understandable, why not check out the record of other candidates to see if there actual work they do within a local community is of value. Thankfully I live in a conservative stronghold and we have excellent services so it was a no brainer

The Suffragette fought for our right to to vote.

I turned up to Vote, It will be counted.

they gave me the right to stand up and be counted. I have.

If every party when the suffragettes got their first vote, had a policy to remove womens votes, do you think they would have voted for any of them, just because at that point in time they had a right to put an X next to a party?

No, you didnt.

my vote will be counted as spoilt.

it shows I turned out to vote, not sat at home uninterested in voting.

Your spoiled ballot will be counted, and then ignored, if you think such actions are going to gain critical mass for the electoral commission or the government to 'do something' then you are being pretty naïve.

My last local election results

Seats 3
Total votes 9937
Electorate 7726
Number of ballot papers issued 3450
Number of ballot papers rejected 31
Turnout 44.65%

A bigger concern would be the 55% of people who could be bothered to stroll around to their local polling station rather then the 31 people who spoiled their ballots.

Your spoiled ballot will be counted, and then ignored

No different to not voting for the one dominant major party round here then.

No different to not voting for the one dominant major party round here then

Apart from the fact you have actually engaged in the electoral process which does make a small difference rather then scrawling a small essay on your ballot which makes fuck all difference.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster

yes I understand that. But if that 31 jumps significantly in this vote, then it's show a growing trend.

it is a numbers game, and I do concede that if the spoilt votes only come to 32 this time, it was futile.

But at the same point there were no parties I could realistically vote for, for me women's rights play a big part, but there are a lots of other things too.

I just couldn't put my X next to any of them at the moment.

it's the first time I have not voted for any of them.

The spoilt votes would have to form a very significant percentage for anyone to care.
Refusing to vote has no impact on the politician who is voted in. They've still won the election.
I just feel this is a futile effort.

I appreciate anyone trying to make their voice heard, but spoiling a ballot paper feels, to me, like shouting into an oncoming train.

It's like a protest vote, Chicken. I voted for the Greens for years before seeing a Green councillor - and then eventually a Green MP. Progress is made incrementally, and sending signals can be powerful.

It was an encouragement to the Green Party to see that 100-odd people in a ward were voting for them, even though they had no hope of getting in in that ward.

It's nothing like a protest vote. A protest vote is a vote, this is not.

Today 12:26 BlackeyedSusan
*those little stubby pencils are really loud.
only person in there. they perked up a bit whenI arrived. (turnout traditionally low round here) but did not look impressed after all the scratchy noises... *
Thanks I needed that