Spoiled ballots?

[Binglebong]

As far as I can see there is no point to the election on Thursday - the MEPs will have nothing to do wish I'd stood. So I am seriously considering using it as an opportunity to spoil my ballot with Woman - Adult Human Female.

Any thoughts?

I had to hold my nose to vote as brexit is the of the moment issue that requires immediate attention. Women's rights are the long game and I expect I would be spoiling my ballot in a GE with some feminist words of outrage.

I feel uneasy about my vote but a remain party was the priority today.

I was furious with a rosetted LD person who could not answer my questions about trans ideology. "It's difficult for people with toilets" etc. You mean it's difficult for women! "Well I'm a liberal and therefore everyone should be free to be what they want to be." Well yes, as long as they aren't harming anyone else. She was the epitome of the weak minded meek handmaiden. Thankfully other people came up to tell her their thoughts so I escaped before I got opinionated

Fantastic post (as ever) from RedToothBrush
I voted and didn't spoil my vote. I shed a little tear at seeing the Women's Equality Party on there - how I would have loved to vote for a party that stands up for women

In the end I voted for Change UK - pro Remain and currently haven't got round to being bullied by the trans mob into eradicating women. But I'm not hopeful that will last.

Right, I teetered on the edge of spoiling my ballot but voted Change Uk in the end.

I have spoken with one of our local candidates who seemed very good and experienced in nhs. Also I notice other representatives in my area are diverse, come from very science based backgrounds and also broad range of charities including one who is vocal about autistic children’s rights.

So in the basis of that and there is no actual evidence of genderbollix, I’ve voted.

Every vote cast that's not for the Brexit Party, keeps the popular vote for them down a little. This is psychologically and tactically important for the future even if your vote does not help win a seat.

I spoiled my vote. Put some Xs in the boxes where women were on the ballot and then wrote the correct definition of a woman alongside.

My daughters came with me - it’s the second time we’ve done it. We have a chat about how the suffragettes suffered so we must vote, but how we need to change the conversation around women for the sake of their future.

It’s all a bit weird and uncomfortable - I’m not sure if it’s right or not really. But then no party really represents me over Brexit either - I voted remain but I think we should probably respect the referendum result. So it reflects that I have no representation at all...

I completely agree RedToothBrush. I voted Lib Dem as they seem more likely to get the majority in my area.

As all the (remain) parties are about as bad as each other WRT TWAW I held my nose and voted LD.

I’ll continue telling parties in other ways that TWAM.

If it had been a GE I’d have absolutely spoiled.

I'd assumed the Greens would be the main beneficiary of the Remain protest vote as people still held the Lib Dems U-turn on tuition fees against them, but their recent surge in the Local Elections seems to show they (LDs) have managed to turn that particular page.

It also struck me that, had the Euros taken part before the Locals, then it might well have been Change UK that ended up riding that particular wave but momentum (not that Momentum) seems to be with the Lib Dems and the CHUKs look to be over before they've even begun.

Interesting times etc etc.

Nobody really cares about spoilt ballots. Any vote not against Farage and Tommy Ten Names might as we’ll be for them. I’m as GC as the next Adult Human Female, but do you think those guys will defend you?

I voted but wrote in the box of the person I voted for. I hope it doesn’t get thrown out, but I took a chance on it.
I would vote green, but I just can’t vote for them for “non men” and The Challenor case.

Just voted green with a heavy heart.

Now, how do we stop Boris becoming PM?

I am struggling to understand the logic of spoiling your vote because you believe none of the candidates represents your views.

If you think they won’t listen to you if you did vote for them, what on earth makes you think they’ll take a blind bit of notice of a handful of scrawled-on papers ?

I’ve been agonising about this all day, read as much as I could and, despite being a life long Labour supporter, I voted Lib Dem. I just couldn’t NOT vote so voted for the least worst option ( at least on this issue...)

And thanks to everyone for their views on this, I honestly don’t think I would have bothered to vote otherwise, it helped me to make a decision.

The Lib Dems are terrible on self id, and single sex space aren’t they ? They also welcomed Amy Challenor with open arms .

The suffragettes fought for the right to vote because they wanted power for women, and the vote was a way of achieving it.

It's misunderstanding that fight to assume the vote is the end in itself. If voting disempowers women e.g. by being forced to vote for parties who want to abolish womanhood then obviously women should resist if they can.

I did vote for an anti-Brexit party today but it pissed me off that I did because they're also pro-trans. I wanted my vote to be part of the anti-Brexit popular vote however. I don't know what I'll do at the next general election. Men's politics is not for women.

Tanith, and your solution therefore is...?
At least in the local elections there were a few headlines about the unprecedented number of spoilt ballots. If that keeps up, somebody somewhere will have to take note and wonder what they're in aid of. If everyone who currently does not vote because they're not represented went and spoiled ballots, from what I remember of the last GE numbers, they would actually outnumber the votes cast for one party or another. Naturally all of those would not be about women's rights, but it would be an interesting position.

I voted Change, Despite my strong pro remain stance I couldn't bring myself to vote libdem or green. Rest immediate family are male, they will all have voted libdem because whilst they agree with me that twanw they are not the people being thrown under the bus so will have forgotten how abhorrent the libDems are at least my youngest son was sorry once he realised what he'd done
Part of the problem is sons had no clue who Change are.

Being in Wales, I had the option of voting Plaid Cymru (pro Remain) and I did.

Plaid Cymru's former leader, Leanne Wood, was recorded as saying "TWAW", which really, really, really put me off.

The current leader is Adam Price

I shall have to write and ask him.

I can also identify with all who spoilt their ballots. I've done that in the past, too.

If that keeps up, somebody somewhere will have to take note and wonder what they're in aid of

can you elaborate on who this somebody somewhere might have:
a. all the information collated on the reasons why each ballot paper was destroyed.
b. will have the power or desire to respond to them- and not voters themselves.

a spoiled ballot paper is a gift to fascists.

I agree with Tanith. Nobody cares about spoiled ballots unless in a constituency the result was really close in which case the candidates would want them scrutinised to make 100% sure they could not be allocated.

a spoiled ballot paper is a gift to fascists.

What a ridiculous statement!

why do you think so?

Spoiling your ballot counts for nothing, no one will take any notice. Vote for the least worst option in your opinion.

Too late now I know