Coordinating spoilt ballots

[Binglebong]

I know there is a thread about have you spoilt your ballot but this is slightly different.

I'm trying to hold my nose and vote for someone but there is not a single potential MP in my constituency who does not disgust me. I don't want to vote Reform or someone as a protest as it might be seen that they have more support than they do. So the liklihood is that I will spoil my vote.

I know spoilt votes only really get looked at if there is a huge number or if the vote is close. But just in case I was wondering if it is worth having the same thing written on all of them to show that it is a massive issue that is losing them votes. What would you suggest (if you think it is a good idea).
Respect my sex if you want my X is a good one but is it the best?

Well said. They campaigned to give us choice and would have been horrified at women voting for something that is so fundamentally harmful.

I would love to vote for someone but I honestly believe they will all do great harm. It's not much but I can at least show I don't support it.

I went along and spoiled my paper with the words “No suitable candidates, Woman: adult human female”.

It honestly felt incredibly depressing, but I couldn’t bring myself to vote for any of them.

of course it's taking action

No, its ineffectual. You do you though.

At least we get counted in the turnout.

I'd like to see an analysis of actual countable votes v turnout to see the percentage spoiled.

Another 2 spoilt ballots! One from me and one from my 19 year old autistic son. So bloody proud of him, I didn't tell him my plan at all but when we came out he said he just couldn't bring himself to vote for anyone and wrote 'you're all crap' on the ballot paper! DH is French so having is own issues as to who to vote for on Sunday.

Exactly.

Spoiled ballots get counted.

I know they do get counted, but do we get to see that?

E.g. 500 people filled in a ballot paper, 300 labour, 150 tory, 50 spoiled? I don't think I've ever seen that.

Yes I believe so - I can't recall whether it's actually read out at the count itself, but it is definitely reported officially such that the public can find out.

They seem to be predicting a 170 labour majority. I'm going to bed to get up at 3.

I didn't get asked at all, but let's see.

Thanks, I'll do a look into that in a few days then, it would be really interesting, this year more so than normal I think.

I am a dual national. Spoiled my ballot for this one, will be voting for Ensemble on Sunday. Hundreds of left and centrist candidates have dropped out of the race to try to beat the RN, which at least makes people's decision easier.

So if there is a Labour, or other party majority, what do you think your vote will mean?

Exactly the same as when i didn't vote Tory last time round. So nothing, but if you don't live in a marginal constituency, does it ever? Doesn't mean you shouldn't make your point

They’re listed as rejected ballots in the data. What it won’t show is how many were intentionally vs accidentally spoiled, or whether they may have been spoiled because of policy on women’s rights or Gaza or immigration etc. But a further rise would be interesting generally. There was a big rise in rejected ballots in some constituencies in the last election which was perceived to be related to Brexit.

Makes sense re intentionally re accidentally, although I get the impression some, if not all would be clear as to which they were, no mistaking mine! Still, I shall look up the numbers as I get the feeling there will be quite a lot.

Suzanne Moore just said she spoiled her ballot (on the Unherd live broadcast via YouTube).

She said she went for ‘Respect My Sex If You
Want My X’

Well, fair play to her. She’s a woman of principle.

The seat they just called announced 101 spoilt votes.

Especially since the exit polls said it looks like it might be the lowest turnout since WW2.
I gues we will see.

Where Grant Shapps lost the “written on “ spoiled votes were mentioned specifically.

I have been a volunteer on polling day for the count.
Spoilt ballots go into a pile. No one looks or reads the content or asks
You are basically telling a bunch of local volunteers your viewpoint who aren't exactly the people who can effect change.

No shit sherlock.

You know we tried contacting many many MPs and lots didnt respond yeah.

I contacted my Lib Dem candidate and he didn't reply so I didn't vote for him. He came within a few hundred votes of taking a true blue constituency but didn't quite manage it.

We were part of Jeremy Hunt's old constituency and he wasn't our candidate this time but I'm certain that if he had been our Tory candidate and I'd written to him I would have received a reply. I think few Tories have worked harder locally to cling on.

I am adding my name to the list of spoilt ballots. Labour was a pretty safe win here and having thought about it, spoiling my ballot was the right choice for me.

I looked at the turnout for my constituency this morning, it is well down on the figues from 2019, so I am very glad that I went.

Here is a link to the Electoral Commissions stats for the 2019 election. Haven’t properly looked but may be interesting to compare with the latest ones. Includes postal votes where figures for overseas voters have gone up.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/UKPGE%202019-%20Electoral%20Data-Website.xlsx