Local elections how to spoil ballot?

[sessell]

I've always voted, even in local elections. However, as a GC lefty I am stuck. Our labour council are generally good, but the local candidate is an avowed, authoritarian TRA, though her promotional materials don't mention that, just standing up for women! I have seen her on FB laying into a GC woman and bragging about protesting outside a Woman's Place event . I really don't want to support them into a position where they could decimate single-sex spaces. Similarly greens, and lib-dems. I can't vote Tory for their cruelty. So I am left with spoiling my ballot. I'll write something like 'sex not gender identity in local politics.' But I wondered if any others are in the same position and if we could coordinate a slogan. It's a small protest, but candidates do read all spoiled ballots.

@ArabellaScott

Didn't you watch the Jackie Weaver clip of abusive men shouting their views? Did none of you read her article where she states that so many white older men are councillors? It's because people don't bother to vote them out

the JW clip illustrated very well why so few women are keen to get involved.

Also see joe Anderson (ex Liverpool mayor) berating feminist at a council meeting because they wanted a discussion on sex based rights

@Floisme

Thank you but none of you have raised anything that I haven't already thought about. I do find it interesting though how, even in the ballot box, women are harangued like disobedient children and told that our personal feelings should not matter.

Absolutely Floisme, along with it somehow being our fault that it's all white middle aged men in positions of power.

I don't think I'm "morally superior" for spoiling my ballot, I don't think I'm better than anyone else for doing it but I simply will not put a cross in a box for those who think men can be women and everything that flows from that ideological position.

I'm blocked on twitter by the only candidate I would vote for.

I asked how long should women wheeshed. No swearing or personal slurs.

Not voting at all is unthinkable

Spoiling the ballot is not voting.

The way I see it is I no longer have a voice. I've done what I can to explain to my (ex)GC representative in generals my concerns, but it's become very clear she is powerless to address the issues. I say ex because she suffered terrible in party bullying very publicly and was made to tow the line.
I now have no recourse left. So whilst it's a perhaps futile gesture, is it's the only one left to me. I am not able to express myself publicly or on social media as to do so would risk my profession.
Equally, last general I was proud to vote for our candidate as she had values that reflect mine. That she was a woman was a happy coincidence. As much as voting for white men continues the cycle, I think not voting for the right candidate because they're male is a poor look out.

They're making decisions that benefit their own pockets and those of their mates
If you decide to waste your vote in this way,don'tcomplain when the local beauty spot is concreted over by development companies

This has already happened.

women's and children's services are withdrawn

What difference when womens services are mixed sex just to keep them, I'm doing this for women.

your car is damaged by potholes in the road

Again already happened, plus all the other things you can probably think of*

Thank you for the sticker tip. I went with a shorter version of the Susan Anthony quote upthread.

I have the right not to vote for people who won't represent me.

spoilt my ballot and a very unlucky young wokebro knocked my door to see if I have voted. He won't be doing that again. I really lost my temper with him. Really fed up today, especially after the Sinnot result.

I took a sticker in pocket that I had prepared earlier, and for the first time in my life, I spoiled my ballot.

It fucking hurt. My DM brought me up to exert my right to vote; she was born only a year after women got the right to vote on an equal footing with men.

Sadly we don't get Wokebros here checking if we've voted (this is donkey-with-a-blue-ribbon territory) because I would have been very willing to lay into one.

I researched candidates, two of the three votes got a proper vote. one got "annotated" with an x in the least worst box with a different colour pen. I don't care what other people think. this is what I want to do.

grumpy - it hurt me too. First time in 40 years that I have done this. Am gutted.

ps this thread is a good 'un for comment bingo. there is always "no-one reads"... followed by, when I am at a count... plus a mention of a penis or two, plus an if you don't vote you are responsible for.... plus women died for your vote...

I knew to take a pen this time. the bloody pencil was really scratchy and loud last time I hauled my disabled arse to the polling station to register a protest vote. as someone who deperately relies on local services and needs those services to be single sex.

@noneedtoexpelme, have a on me.
It's all a bit shit, really.

On the plus side, I went off on one last night when talking to a friend who is a bit Woke and in a position of some influence. To my amazement and surprise, she agreed with me, so perhaps there is hope, after all.

2-minute action.
If you are in Wales, the BBC wants to know if/why you did or didn't vote in the Senedd elections. Please tell them, especially if you spoiled your ballot because you are politically homeless as an adult human female.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57086750?fbclid=IwAR1S1dvQclCakBSyokffodf6LYzxefxMcakAV1hjqlwGyZQKcPucvB6WrdI