Politically homeless-who should get my fought for vote?

[PerverseConverse]

After 30 odd years of having no interest in politics at all, I was screwed over by the Tories and decided to get involved with Labour. I supported my local candidates at the last local election, delivered leaflets and argued the cause on social media. I even turned my mum into a labour voter.

Then I heard that Labour were throwing women under the bus.

I can't vote labour now. My conscience would not allow it. But neither can I vote conservative and I certainly wouldn't vote for the Green Party after all the appalling behaviour (those words aren't strong enough, I know) and UKIP offend me in every possible way. The Lib Dems screwed me over alongside the tories and therefore I feel there is no one to vote for when the time comes.

I would not spoil my ballot paper although I know many do. I find that disrespectful to the women who fought for our right to vote and I couldn't do it.

I wouldn't want to waste my vote by not voting at all but who on earth am I supposed to vote for when no party seems to stand for me or women like me?

Each party usually produces a manifesto directed at women, during an election campaign. If they've got any sense they ought to start consulting women's groups and organisations, and picking up any tensions or challenges that stand in their way. It will be no use making the right noises in the 2020s, and hoping we will have forgotten.

I will have no hesitation in writing on my ballot paper. I will insert a name like Magdalen Berns or Jean Hackett and put a ruddy great big cross against the name. If none of the parties shape up, I will campaign against them and encourage others to spoil their ballot papers. It is a small step in protest and as direct action.

I think the Suffragettes would understand why I feel the need to reject parties that damage women's interests.

I live in a Labour safe seat, my MP has declared anything less that full submission from women is ignorant transphobic hate speech, I have no one to vote for and my next ballot will reflect that.

Writing 'none of the above' then putting 'sex not gender' on your ballot paper. Risky in terms of who gets in but no other choices as far as I'm concerned as things stand. All of the main parties have fucked women and children over with the gender self-ID stuff. I will never vote for any of them again until and unless one of them stands up to this borg.

In my view, spoiling the ballot paper is a valid option, in any election where you don't feel that you can, in all honesty, vote for any of the candidates.
In general elections, at the count, the "spoiled" ballots must be kept, and available for the agents of all parties/candidates to inspect, just in case they'd be able to argue for even the slightest hint that the ballot-spoiler really really meant ABC Party, really (despite the fact that they've drawn a willy and balls all over the ballot paper and written in the middle, Women Don't Have Penises, for example).
So, yes - your message is read and inspected.
Just make sure that you don't make any mark in any of the tick-boxes, if that is your intention.

I live in a Tory safe seat. Previously I have voted for one-issue parties (where I agree with the issue being campaigned upon) such as the ‘Save [Name of Hospital] Party’. However, in the last local election I wrote what WichBitchHarpy says word-for-word on the ballot paper.

UKIP say they will repeal the equality act.

I am in tbe same boat. Couldn't cast a vote at the moment....

Just don't vote.

Making the effort of turning up at your local polling station and then spoiling your ballot paper in a disrespectful manner, because there is no-one who represents you and your concerns, is a good thing to do, under such limited circumstances.

There's no point in voting for people who are actively working against you.

That's democracy in action.

For me, anyway: turning up at the polling station is important, actually making the effort to go there.

If, then, I have to spoil my ballot paper in a deliberate manner, then I will do so; writing something like, "Women Don't Have Penises", for example.

This is also participation in the democratic process, in my view.

I was going to just spoil my ballot - not that it would make any difference because I live in one of the safest Labour seats in the country - but I think theOtherPamAyres idea about putting a cross next to your own candidate is brilliant. It makes it more of a political statement.

I'm spoiling and writing why I can't vote for any of them. Suffragettes won my right to vote, not a compulsion to accept any party that shits on women's rights.

I am going to spoil my ballot. It's the only way that I can both vote and to show how little I think of the political parties and their attitudes toward women.

The Tories are the greatest evil, we have to get rid of them.

I’m in Australia where women are already screwed and our government and the democratic process do not seem to in any way relate to each other.

We have compulsory voting.

Working from the bottom up still forces me to put a number 1 next to someone who has no problems hurting me, torturing children or is otherwise despicable.

Spoil the ballot. It’s the only choice left.