Advice on spoiling ballot

[JellySlice]

I'm firmly in favour of Remain.
I am also firmly Gender Critical.

Not only is there nobody I can vote for, but, as I am also in a firmly Conservative constituency, there is hardly any point in voting!

Is there a way to spoil my ballot that clearly demonstrates my inability to exercise my democratic rights?

I like to think the Suffragettes would applaud me sticking by my principles and not voting for any party that does not support women's rights and freedoms.

They secured the right to vote for women, but they were robustly principled even while others tried to shame them and belittle their cause. History is repeating itself.

So I will be spoiling my ballot as I will betray my principles if I vote for any party.

Gender identity is every issue. If we can no longer define what a woman is then this impacts everything.

I would spoil my ballot except I have to make a point by voting to unseat my MP. Whilst holding my nose.

I like to think the Suffragettes would applaud me sticking by my principles and not voting for any party that does not support women's rights and freedoms.

They secured the right to vote for women, but they were robustly principled even while others tried to shame them and belittle their cause. History is repeating itself.

So I will be spoiling my ballot as I will betray my principles if I vote for any party.

Well said Hands. I agree completely.

I know this is an issue many feel very strongly about - I do too - but for me this election is all about trying to avert a hard Brexit / Boris / Farage nightmare. There'd be no coming back from that. Self ID is simply not in the same category for me, and electing a party that I regard as problematic on this issue would not prevent the arguments being made in the future once the current shitshow is over.

I completely see what you're saying tatty, but for me, self-ID is the main issue. Brexit will be a disaster but I think there's too much momentum behind it now, I've resigned myself to it really. But self-Id will sneak through in the very near future if we don't stop it, probably while everyone is distracted by the Brexit shit show, and once done it won't be undone.

I've emailed my mp to find out what he thinks, pointing out that this is an issue which could convert me, in spite of my disagreement with almost all other Tory policy. Will await his response before deciding if I vote or spoil.

On the safe seat point, it's safe to the point that other parties didn't even campaign here last time. It really is a true-blue heartland round here.

Tattyroro I've agonised over that point myself, but have still come to the conclusion that it would be a disaster for women if the Labour or the Lib Dems got in. Once the Brexit issue is resolved one way or another, however long that took, we would then have up to five years of a Prime Minister who was rather more committed to reforming the GRA than the Tories ever were, and I have a feeling that we wouldn't even get the courtesy of a consultation. They have made it very clear that they intend to support self-ID and that they don't consider GC women to be a group they want to listen to. I mean, I don't want a Boris government either, but at this stage, women's rights matter to me more than Brexit does and I can't believe that we've got to the point where the Tories are the least shit option out of the whole lot. I still can't bring myself to vote for them, though, so a spoiled ballot it is.

at this stage, women's rights matter to me more than Brexit does and I can't believe that we've got to the point where the Tories are the least shit option out of the whole lot.

☝️ That.

If I spoil my vote it won't be to make a statement. It will be because I don't feel I have any alternative. I think that, if the word 'woman' loses its meaning then so (to give a few examples) will the words, 'male violence' 'women's sport' 'women's refuges' 'sex discrimination', 'pay gap'. Future generations will struggle for years to come back from that.

I had wondered if it was a waste of time and then I saw a Glasgow candidate complaining on twitter after a previous ballot that she had seen 'one of those horrible transphobic stickers' in the polling station on a ballot paper so sometimes the message does get through!

I really really hope that was mine - I wrote NONE over the ballot and stuck an Adult Human Female sticker on it.

I'll be doing the same this time.

It will be pointless because nobody will read or action the comment You should vote and then express your opinion on Twitter or through your MP
For two years I've been trying in my small way to get this opinion across. I got permanently banned from Twitter, my MP thinks I'm a bigot (without actually saying it) not sure what else you think we should do. This conversation is shut down everywhere but here and one other site.

Surely , if you want to make yourself heard, you should vote tactically so that at least it will make some difference

I either spoil my vote as my protest or I don't vote. My vote in this labour stronghold would make no difference, at least a spoilt ballot will be read by the officer and the candidates. Who then may apply some critical thinking skills especially if they see enough.

In all conscience I cannot vote labour and see women cease to exist, same for greens, wep and I cant hold my nose to vote conservative plus I believe they will kick this to the long grass for another day, but it will be sneaked through.
I matter, my daughter matters, everyone's daughter matters.

Spoil your vote if you’ve absolutely set your heart on it, but don’t think for a moment you’re making any kind of protest that anyone will listen to

By the same token don't think that voting for a party with intentions and policies contrary to your values and priorities is somehow honourable, or even meaningful. What you are doing is following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law, and condoning that with which you are in profound disagreement.

But then perhaps tgis issue of Self ID is not that important to you in the way it is to other people? Or perhaps you can over-look bullying and anti- semitism..or outright lies and collusion with the likes of Nigel Farrage and Donald Trump.

*There'd be no coming back from that. Self ID is simply not in the same category for me8

This is the crux of the issue. Those urging or shaming others into voting, simply don't feel as strongly about this as those who intend to spoil. They see other issues as more important or longer term in their impact. Such as Brexit.

I don't! I think Gender self ID and Women's rights are forever, and are absolutely first order principles, not minor side issues which can wait.

Brexit will be a disaster but I think there's too much momentum behind it now, I've resigned myself to it really. But self-Id will sneak through in the very near future if we don't stop it, probably while everyone is distracted by the Brexit shit show, and once done it won't be undone

I agree.

I don't! I think Gender self ID and Women's rights are forever, and are absolutely first order principles, not minor side issues which can wait.

Me too. I'm not voting Tory but neither am I going to vote for left of centre parties that don't respect their female voters.

The only effect a spoilt paper has is someone looks for maybe a second or two, adds it the a spoilt set, and returns to their counting.
This is just a normal person, no one special.
The spoils are rechecked to see no vote intend and that is it.
They sit in a pile and no one cares.
Probably never looked at again.

I'm not spoiling my ballot under the illusion that someone will read it any undergo a gender critical epiphany. I'm (potentially) spoiling my ballot because I cannot cast a vote for anyone who is prepared to tell women to go fuck themselves in order to suck up to stonewall. If I can't give my vote to someone who

... knows what a woman is, I will cast a spoiled vote to assuage my own conscience.

(Hit post too soon, breastfeeding wiggly baby.)

I plan to spoil my vote.

I absolutely bow at the feet of all the women who fought so hard so that I could be able to vote. They are heroes.

I might not use my vote at all, but I don't feel I would be honouring those women. That is a true waste of their efforts.

But I can use my vote in a tiny way to protest. I cannot vote for any candidate in my constituency, so I plan to put None of the Above at the bottom.

As others have said, you can also vote for the least worst option, or vote for someone with no chance of winning if only to reduce your MPs majority. It's never a wasted vote, it's a tiny protest. If enough people did it it might send a message that they are all a bunch of twunts. Naive? Probably. But that's my opinion.

Spoiling your ballot or not voting is how the tories got in find a local mp and turn the tide on there thinking

I'm planning on emailing all the local parliamentary candidates and ask them if they will go on the record about whether or not they will protect the sex-based rights of women. If they are in any way wishy washy or ambiguous as to their definition of women, they will not be getting my vote.

Spoiling your ballot or not voting is how the tories got in
The Tories got in because no-one trusts voting for JC.

They sit in a pile and no one cares.
Probably never looked at again

Spoiled ballots are counted in the same way as other votes and the numbers recorded. And sometimes the comments are noted by those presiding over the count, and even some of the candidates.

However, the main point is that spoiling the ballot is the only option for those that want to vote positively, but genuinely have no-one they can vote for with any conscience or integrity.

The numbers of people this relates to grows all of the time......but of course this needs to be aligned to campaigning on those issues and letting candidates know that this is what you will be doing and why.

Spoiling your ballot or not voting is how the tories got in find a local mp and turn the tide on there thinking

Labour will be returned in my particular constituency, whatever I do.
however, if you live in a Lib-dem/Tory marginal - would you really be prepared to vote for a Lib-dem party that explicitly states that it does not want GC women to vote for it? Or that intends when/if elected to pass Self ID as a matter of priority?

Of course, there's nothing essentially wrong about saying you think Brexit is more important than this issue - if that is the case. But Please be aware that for many it is not.

Spoiling your ballot or not voting is how the tories got in find a local mp and turn the tide on there thinking

Labour have almost totally lost Scotland - once Glasgow went SNP. This is one of the major reason for the demise of Labour nationally. Also because lots of traditional Labour voters voted Brexit/UKIP.

I have printed this photo onto a sticker and I intend to draw a line through all the candidate names alongside it.

I am still voting. I'm voting no.