Protest voting for the politically homeless.

[TurboTeddy]

I've seen many posts on threads from MNetters saying they feel so let down by the current main political parties that they feel politically homeless. I wanted to try to find a party that did not unquestioningly support self ID. I think I have seen mentioned that this is UKIP's position but I think it's important to note that their interim manifesto states they would like to abolish the Equalities Act.

I have decided to make a protest vote at the next election as I don't think I could stay away from the polling station with a clear conscience. I have done a bit of research to see how to make a protest vote count and thought I'd post the link here as information for anyone else thinking of doing the same.

www.votenone.org.uk/protest_votes_count.html

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/pencils-pens-vote-general-election-8267551

Thank you teddy

NONE. And a big line through the boxes.

Simple enough and no room for ambiguity, which is the point.

Better than trying to write a mini essay about the failure of representative democracy in these manipulative media times.

Better than voting for a load of overpaid, uncritical wazzocks, who generally appear to be about undermining citizens rights rather than running the country for the greater good.

No just no

I like Socrates approach.

Um. Well I've made protest votes before but only in landslide constituencies where I could be sure it wouldn't cause the opposite result to what I wanted.

Because whether you vote or not, someone will get in.

If people who support a particular viewpoint (eg support for women's rights) boycott en masse and the other guys don't, that pretty much guarantees power going to the person you wanted least.

Which is how the US has Trump. And why suppressing the vote of some demographics is such a big election tactic in the US.

As I am "fortunate" enough to live in Theresa May's constituency I can choose a protest vote between monster raving loony and lord bucket head. I must find out their stance on self id.

I live in a constituency with a 20,000 + Tory majority. A spoiled ballot paper won’t lead to the communists or the BNP being elected.

I’d actually be interested to know what TM’s share of the vote would be in her own constituency, if she stands at the next GE.

I live with in a tory stronghold but we get do get some interesting oppositions sometimes. The lib dems and greens sometimes step down to support a one issue independent who i normally vote for. This local election i have green, labour, lib dem and tory to choose from which is a first. One year i turned up to vote in the town, borough and county elections and there wasnt a borough election as only one Tory had stood. There were no other candidates!

And actually one of my "landslide" constituencies ended up with a margin of less than 200 in the last election.

That's fewer than the number of people who may read this thread.

So please, do weigh what's happening in your particular constituency.

Especially when it's a choice between protest vote and "least worst and they may be persuadable".

'My' approach was a quick summary of the votenone link by OP.

Everywhere I've lived/voted have had huge Tory majorities so spoiling my ballot makes not a jot of difference to the outcome. The voting system itself needs an overhaul.

I've always voted Green, usually grabbing 3% of the total vote. Response to Challenor situation/suspensions for those who questioned safeguarding means I will no longer vote Green.

The voting system/Parliament is only given legitimacy by the involvement of involved citizens. Ideally, and I realise I'm quite an idealist, the more people that state "'none" (because a vote for the least worst is no sort of damn choice) the less legitimacy the system has.

Obviously that would be some sort of social shift ...but democracy only really gained traction for a short time after 1945 and we're a long way from it's core principles with the current load of shite.

Involvement of involved citizens har, must preview posts!

The vast majority of voters, including me, vote because of a number of factors and will continue to vote.

You are kidding yourselves if you think your protest vote of "none" , or whatever else you put on the paper other than a cross beside one candidate, will get anything more than a cursory glance to check that the paper is validly excluded. And even that is important only where the result is narrow.

I’m not voting for a ‘least worst’ option anymore.

I’ll vote for something I believe in or not at all.

As far as the the results go holding your nose and voting for the least worse option is exactly the same as voting enthusiastically for a cause you’d be willing to die for.

Whatever the next bunch of arseholes do when they get into power it’s not with my mandate.

I fail to see how a protest vote makes any difference, surely there are better ways to get your point across?

Is this the main issue you are basing your vote on? I find that staggering. My favoured party seems to support self ID, but overall other issues are far more important.

Spoiled my ballot for the first time ever. I'm with AlwaysComingHome; "I'll vote for something I believe in or not at all"

I have contacted every single candidate on the paper, most did not even bother to respond and the TWO that did were not willing to agree that a woman is an adult human female. Fuck the lot of them.

Women fought hard to get the right to vote and I'm guessing they would be appalled at the choices we are limited to.

Yes there are many other factors to consider, but a party that is prepared to put the wellbeing of women and children bottom of the pile, loses my vote.

A vote of 'NONE' is still a vote.

www.votenone.org.uk/protest_votes_count.html

Yorkshire and Humberside candidate list:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48081687

Note: Conservative #6 is Sue Pascoe. The same Sue Pascoe who backed Leeds City Council in their decision to ban the Woman's Place meeting at the last minute, and who thinks Mesmec does 'amazing work'. I wonder how much influence they have in the Yorkshire & Humberside 'diversity' scene round these parts; they look to be very well connected politically.

Something to quiz the Tory canvassers about if they turn up on the doorstep? (And I say that as a paid up Conservative member, who will not be voting for them in the EU elections)

Can I suggest we all have a look through the local candidate lists and see if any other anti-women candidates are standing?

Forgot to post the Mesmec link

twitter.com/suepascoe001/status/1122423554610479104

Spoiling my ballot too. I shall write "woman= adult human female" across the paper.

Spoiling my ballot and writing "woman = adult human female".

I like ‘None of the above support women’ which was on another thread.

I have just (postal) voted.

Town elections: incumbent party who have been pretty bad, but better the devil you know. Their opposition candidates are both fully TWAW; and also I desperately want to keep one of them out (quite knife edge here).

Parish: I spoiled the ballot by writing NONE right across it. I feel quite emotional about it, but my choices were: TWAW supporters, white nationalist or more of the same incumbents. I couldn't vote for any of them in good conscience.