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?

In some constituency the returning officer not only mentioned number of spoilt ballots but why eg Blank, Written Across, and ... etc.

So I think there seems to be a problem with a few individuals who did not absorb the system they were part of, or the returning officer didn't know their job.

I think if we dont get voter reform there should be an organised campaign of spoilt ballots especially if over 50% of ballots were sploit.

There has been an organised campaign originating well over a decade ago. One that has achieved precisely nothing.

it will be interesting to see the overall % of spoilt papers at this GE - given the 0.36% at the last GE, just below the 0.38% peak recorded in 1979. So even if spoils doubled still well below 1%.

I think if 50% of ballots were spoilt - or even if 5% of ballots were spoilt - we would already have heard about it as there would be an investigation. The drop in counted vote numbers pretty much correlates with the drop in turnout.

150 spoiled in my district. One with an identifying mark, the rest voting for more Candidates than voter was entitled to or being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty. Mine would have fit into either of those boxes. I'll try to work out proportions.

0.33% spoilt in my district. Turn out of over 50%. It would be interesting to see a map of spoilt ballots, I bet there would be trends.

Considering writing to my new MP at some point:

"Congratulations! I am a floating voter, here's why I didn't vote for you" type thing. Not sure on the timing.

The Electoral Commission will publish all the spoiled ballot data (another pp may already have linked to it upthread). There is an excel file that can be downloaded showing detailed info for every constituency - from which of course you could create your own map.

For 2019 the largest spoil % was in the Speaker’s constituency at 3.16%. Thereafter one constituency passed the 1% mark; 1.04% in Leeds North East.

the 3rd highest was then South Derbyshire at 0.8%.

6 of the constituencies from the 20 with the highest spoil percentage were in Northern Ireland.

my local constituency looked to be about 0.4% last night, only marginally higher than the 2019 figure.

in 2019 275 constituencies exceeded 0.36%, with 351 below it. The balance being on 0.36%.

Lowest percentage was 0.10% at Barnsley Central and Barnsley East.

Interestingly the 2019 rejection rate for postal votes (eg these don’t make it to the actual count) was 2.17%, with 23 constituencies having a rejection rate of over 5%.

Fascinating, thank you.

I am thinking of getting my defeated ex-MP's election literature and sending it back to the party with "HAHAHAHA Women Won't Wheesht" scrawled on it. Would that be petty?

Yes. Go for it!

My seat had 168 spoilt ballots. I also checked the Speakers seat 1198 spoilt. That was more than 2 of the candidates got !

That's impressive numbers!

Isn't it. Someone also posted on X that there was over 700 where they live.

Did Not Votes were by far the largest grouping.

Lowest turnout since 1950.

There really needs to be a story on this, although I think it will get drowned out. Anyone know a friendly journalist?

There have been quite a lot of stories about this, and how even though the number make it look like an historic win for Labour, they actually got fewer votes.

I think it is among the 3 lowest turn outs since 1918.

The most recent before this was Tony Blair being re-elected.

Date.....Votes.....Party
1931.....76%.....National Gov
1935.....71%.....National Gov
1945.....73%.....Labour
1950.....84%.....Labour
1951.....83%.....Conservative
1955.....77%.....Conservative
1959.....79%.....Conservative
1964.....77%.....Labour
1966.....76%.....Labour
1970.....72%.....Conservative
1974.....79%.....Labour
1974.....73%.....Labour
1979.....76%.....Conservative
1983.....73%.....Conservative
1987.....75%.....Conservative
1992.....78%.....Conservative
1997.....71%.....Labour
2001.....59%.....Labour
2005.....61%.....Labour
2010.....65%.....Coalition
2015.....66%.....Conservative
2017.....69%.....Conservative
2019.....67%.....Conservative
2024.....54%.....Labour

As I recall the Speaker’s seat had by far the highest number of spoilt ballots at the last election as well.

There is a long-standing tradition that the main parties do not stand against the Speaker. While this may seem to be an honourable approach, lots of people who live in the Speaker's constituency feel that they are being denied democratic representation.

Just came on to say I feel totally vindicated today. I went to see my friend whose husband has worked on the election counts many times. I asked him what happens to spoilt ballots? He said they are scrutinised by the candidates to see whether there's any ambiguity. So that should mean that my ballot paper, with a black line written in a sharpie and my 3 stickers will have been seen by my TWAW Labour candidate! He also said, the amount of spoilt ballots has gone up massively. So, yes, it does make a difference!

That's fantastic Appaloni! Thanks for sharing.

Having been both a candidate and agent in a number of elections - yes all the spoiled papers are presented before the result is announced.

Candidates and agents collectively spend a few minutes checking these over to make sure thery are all spoiled and chuckling over the penis drawings and rude ccommenrs.

That's it. A few moments in a very long night after a long campaign.

The winner is delighted. The losers are despondent. None of them give a shit about the spoiled papers.

Sorry but they really don't.

The winner is delighted. The losers are despondent. None of them give a shit about the spoiled papers.

Sorry but they really don't.

Unofrtunately this comment expresses the problem with they system or maybe those who take part.

The most important part is the electorate.

To win on a very low turnout means you aren't really a winner.

To have an increasing number of spoilt ballots is a sign that the system isn't working.

So no suprise to find people who are part of the pantomime that UK politics think they are the most important part, as always forgetting who it is that is most important.

So Up the Voters!

Showing that we can think for ourselves are aren't pre-programmed drudges being overseen by the political class.

@IwantToRetire

Huh?

That's not what I said. That's all stuff in your head.

None of them give a shit about the spoiled papers.

None of them give a shit about the spoiled papers

Nope. Penis pictures and rude and offensive comments etc. Can't get excited about them.

That's still not anything to do with all the rest of the points that you tried to ascribe to me.