I wasn’t really expected it to be a big story etc or that they were read by mps etc (I’ve put none in the past, and emailed mps/candidates to explain why- I know that doesn’t count for much more but i felt somewhat better) but I was always under the impression they were counted and noted as spoiled ballots, separate from the % that don’t vote at all, so thought they counted in some way due to that. I remember discussing that way back in high school modern studies classes, damn I’m miffed it that’s not at all accurate. Thank you for the link though, I will read and I’ve been searching here/elsewhere about spoiled ballots but not finding anything new.
(Not meaning to argue politics) but I feel lost as -
Won’t not vote - that feels horribly wrong.
Have 2 very vulnerable children with multiple disabilities and as a result know many families who live with the impact of disproportionate cuts to disability services/funding/benefits. I can’t vote Tory after the UN’s finding the UK guilty of violating the conventions on the rights of people with disabilities and the complete lack of any response from tories since about this, no apology, no shame, no change in policies.....
Can’t vote Lib Dem’s, labour or greens due to the anti women stances (which of course applies to Tories also).
And ukip are just as bigoted if not more so. No independent candidate here.
I emailed candidates ages ago now to ask their personal stance on twaw and haven’t received any responses. I’m not sure if I could stomach voting for a party that’s unbearable even if the candidate says they don’t believe twaw and would vote against the anti women changes, but I think I’d consider it if I felt confident in their response, if I felt they’d seek to address the misogyny (or disablism et al) from inside the party, but haven’t heard anything and the bits I’ve read in them don’t feel helpful.
I’ve been comfortable spoiling ballots in the past, a fuck you to lack of valid choice type thing, but I guess I feel more lost and frustrated this time, and feel I want it to count towards something, somehow. I want a choice that represents me, and my kids and the many women and children I see struggle with the same issues. Fuck brexit scares the shit out of me & yet the above issues feel way more overwhelmed to me at present. Voter apathy feels both appealing and appauling in equal measure.