Local elections and GC feminism thread

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

Hi, just thought I'd start a thread as have seen threads recently about campaigning but not about the actual elections.

I live in a Tory-controlled area which has recently been in the news for bad mismanagement and Lab and LDs snapping at their heels here in different council seats. I don't necessarily want the Tories in but also worried now about the impact on local women's services if anyone else gets in - we currently have good council-run leisure facilities with clearly sex-segregated changing and a local SARC that is female-only.

I am worried these things will be lost.

How is everyone feeling/ voting as we move into Thurs?

What happens to spoiled ballots? Does anyone read them?

Badgeringabout
You are right, of course I can’t, I’m sitting here torn between spoiling my paper and voting Labour, because there has never been such a fantastic chance to elect some Labour councillors, in a totally blue area, but I simply cannot trust them.😢

Wouldn't it be great if you could add an explanation of why you voted the way you did. They would all get a better insight of the voting public.

Essentially no. They won't get read other than to ascertain whether there is a valid vote or not. They are checked by the elections team and candidates or their agents can watch the process.

So writing an essay is a waste of time. (I am very much gender critical for the avoidance of doubt, just don't want people wasting effort where it won't have any impact)

I can't decide whether to go spoil my ballot or just not go. I'm tired and disenchanted with it all.

@KetoKitt I felt the same but decided to go and spoilt my ballot. Took ages as there were 3 candidates for each of the main parties plus a green and an independent. The independent has offered me the chance to chat further with him but I really can't be bothered educating him. I've given him enough to go on so he can go and do his own research. I live in a Tory seat nationally but the local council is a Labour/lib dem team effort of sorts. Local councillors are all Lib Dem and ours is an odious, obsequious, misogynistic bully. I don't like him.

I count votes and I read them.

Obviously I do not break the rules of ballot box confidentiality but I do smile to myself.

More than one person can look at a ballot paper so you may have a little audience at the count.

The MP s and councillors don’t read the spoilt votes. Have you ever read a newspaper report about what is written on spoilt ballots, no one cares . They only care about the actual real votes.

Agreed. the only ones MPs/councillors pay attention to are the ones where there is a debate about whether it is a valid vote or not. They aren't interested in what's written on a spoilt ballot

Agreed. the only ones MPs/councillors pay attention to are the ones where there is a debate about whether it is a valid vote or not. They aren't interested in what's written on a spoilt ballot

👍👍👍

Good to hear. I wrote a nice short message of gratitude on mine to spoil it:

"I can't vote on a single issue but thank you Tories for understanding the importance of biological sex in laws and education".

I'm in a Tory safe seat for local council and national seats so at least they can enjoy my appreciation, even if it is somewhat backhanded 😂

Thanks @TooBigForMyBoots

Done.

I voted Labour as the candidate knew what a woman is. He is very gc and I've asked his to try to get the message through to K Starmer. He won't get in though as it's safe toryland but at least I didn't have to spoil my ballot.

I took advantage of this by spoiling (woman =adult human female) but also voting so it should get looked at, or is at least more likely to, to see if there is a valid vote.

I don't know the GC creds of the one I voted for but she seems a good thing generally and it is a very tight seat. I didn't want to lose her (she was also the only one to put anything through my door!)

I know loads of GC greens

My only choices were 2 from 2 independent candidates and 2 conservatives.

I met both parties reps, including the local MP (for the 1st time in 25 years - not just him but also the previous incumbent). Beyond unusual - it does I think reflect the level of concern at local level about politics and how they are viewed.

I explained to the MP that I was a single issue voter (despite the hugely massive and extremely unwelcome large housing development that his council cronies are trying to waive in - think new town size) on gender critical issues. It was an excellent conversation for over 10 mins. Excellent.

The independent rep who I have known (of) for many years was OK but only interested in the previously mentioned housing development. I explained I was a single issue voter on gender critical matters and single sex spaces. He looked blank. And talked at me again. So effectively I was mansplained on the issues of interest to him.

So I fudged my voting -1 for Tory, 1 for independent. Not great - but both issues are really important. But I am a postal vote - sent yesterday in the constituency - so judging by my post - that won't turn up to the council for another 2 weeks!!

Why are people spoiling ballot papers given they will not be read at all by the people putting themselves up for election?

This spoiling is mentioned so often in a very serious way, but I can’t understand why. All it is is not voting isn’t it?

I disagree with the viewpoint that there is no point writing on the ballot paper. Apart from the candidates, the people at the count tend to be senior members of the political parties. They have two roles. The first is to make sure the people counting the votes (tellers) haven't made any mistakes as they sort the votes by party and then count the sorted votes. The tellers hardly ever make mistakes. They do a great job. The second role is to estimate their party's vote. This is very important in marginal seats as votes are counted by polling district (each constituency or ward is divided into polling districts) and it can be really important to know where to focus their canvassing in future elections because results are never published by polling district so it's their one chance to see support for their party at this level.

Of course ultimately the comments will only end up in the 'spoiled ballots' category but it's a way of communicating to candidates. It's not as useful as being able to tell a canvasser why you won't vote for their party. However, it's better than not voting at all in terms of letting candidates know your views.

It's been announced that Plymouth ballots were spoilt with drawings of trees. So it looks like spoilt votes are being commented on, as long as they're in large enough numbers.
🌳🌲🌳🌴🌳

Spoilt ballot papers are looked at to see if there is anything that can be interpreted as a valid vote. So my writing was small, with kellie jay keen against the last person to make sure it was not valid (written in name means invalid) . OH did not vote as the choice was so poor.

They are looked at by the counter, so that's one person!

Well, it'll be worth watching Windsor and Maidenhead. The Conservative leader of the council lost his seat to a 22 year old Lib Dem and the Lib Dems are now the majority party

That's the Lib Dems with the batshit trans policies. I quote from its canvassing guide:
"As a party we are committed to reforming the Gender Recognition Act, banning conversion therapy for all LGBT+ people, and believe that trans women are women and trans men are men."

Actually very illiberal of them to be imposing TWAW/TMAM beliefs on the entire party, maybe they need a rename.

The Illiberal Autocrats, perhaps.

Haha yes, perfectly described!