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?

Putting an x in two boxes and then writing is a good idea.

I'm now thinking x for tory and lib dem, then writing 'i don't want a tory or a suspected wife beater but at least they know what a woman is unlike the others '

Your LD candidate knows what a woman is? That's rare in the LDs!

I think it's very important if you are politically homeless, you should spoil your paper. It's always disappointing if there is a low turnout, as a PP said, it looks like apathy. If, however, there is a large turnout and a large number of ballot papers are spoiled, it's sends a message.

Only when being chastised by the tory party for allegedly assaulting his pregnant wife. No charges were brought. He's now our lib d candidate. Happy days.

Honestly, you'd think they think we don't Google the candidates, especially when we recognise the name but can't quite place it.

Someone is going to get elected whichever way you cut it. The least worst is surely better than 'whatever'.

Why?

I certainly don't want to base my vote on who is the least shit.

Given there's barely a rizla paper between the lot of them for various reasons

Especially when the least shit still have policies which cross my red lines. 🤷‍♀️

Because trying to effect change doesn't stop at the General election booth.

It’s vanishingly unlikely that anyone will look at a spoilt ballot paper beyond a few bored council workers at the count, sorry.

I want to make the point that I want to vote, but there isn't a single one who inspires my trust. Staying at home just looks like laziness or apathy.

Plus, as my DM pointed out to me many times, women died so I could do this.

So no, the raging misogyny of the Labour and LibDem leadership will not keep me out of the polling booth.

Voting for a party lets them think that you're supporting their entire manifesto. You don't get a half vote to say you don't wholly agree, or a box to say which bits you love and hate. If there are no parties which don't have 'red line' issues in their manifestos, then it's not possible to vote, as you'd be giving a mandate for things you absolutely don't agree with. So no, it's not better to vote for them and then try to change it. The ship has very much sailed then!

@murasaki @NoWordForFluffy

Irrespective of your views or mine. One of them will get in.

I live in a constituency with a pretty standard offer of Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, Greens & Reform. I have contacted all the candidates in my constituency to ask about their views on single-sex spaces & amendment to the Equality Act. None have replied. So I go back to what I know of them and their party. Greens & Lib Dems are a no way on their position on GRA reform. Reform are a no way because they are Reform. Any of these three will finish way behind the other 2 anyway at it is a Labour target seat and a two way race. That leaves the Tory incumbent & Labour. I don't trust Labour on women's rights, which is a central issue for me (I'm not arguing the toss about this except to say if my central issues was housing or the NHS, no one would bat an eye about basing a voting decision on those). So we have the Tory, who by and large I don't agree with on anything. Which of these is the least worst? And why would voting for any of them have any impact whatsoever? How would it 'effect change'?

I have voted in every single election, both local and national, since I was 18. I have always taken voting incredibly seriously, to the point that I believe it is everyone's civic duty.
But what am I supposed to do now? I have read the manifestos and listened to each party, but ny conscience will not let me vote for any of them on ethical grounds.
There's a big difference between holding my nose and voting Labour like the life-long leftie that I am, and actively voting for a party that will effectively decimate women's rights and whose leader showed incredible disdain towards a woman raising concerns about it on the radio yesterday.
The Tories are incompetent and corrupt. They have decimated public services and the economy. The Greens and LibDems are even worse for women.
I wish there was a single party that I felt I could give a vote to and not feel like I'd betrayed my principles.
I don't want to just not vote. I'm not apathetic. I'm furious.
I don't really see any other option. I don't believe it will make much of a difference - just as my single vote on its own is unlikely to make one. Spoiling my vote is the least shitty option out of a bunch of them.
I was thinking of 'Support Rosie Duffield, you cowards' (with a big squiggle over all candidates so its clear its none).

Well, yeah, obviously. I don't have to give them my mandate though.

While this is sadly true, I feel it is important to to go to the polling booth and express my opinion and to do something that holds true to my beliefs. Which in the current circumstances is to put more than one x in so they have to check, and state my views. It's better than staying at home when, as others have said, women died so I could vote.

It's not their fault that the choices are the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible as someone once described hunting.

Are you thinking
respect my sex if you want my x?
definitley agree we should coordinate
on the other thread I also suggested the female symbol with an x

Every party has a redline, isn't that a the problem. What are you going to do? Wait four years until the next election? Patting yourself of the back for your spoiled ballot?

That really doesn't even deserve a proper response, to be honest.

I put this on mine. With stickers (I ❤️ JKR and the 'dog' one from LWS).

Quite. The last thing I want to do is hold my nose and vote Labour and then that vote is seen as giving a mandate towards effective self-id.
Starmer could have had the balls to support women properly. He hasn't. If he hasn't persuaded us to vote for him, that's his fault for being a coward, not ours for not wanting self-id

I really want to do this but my damn postal vote has not arrived!

I wrote to my Lib Dem person to register that while my personal politics tally relatively well with overall LD manifesto the need to be able to recognise sex based differences was a hard line for me. I thought they’d hear it more before the election than after. The response made me feel both heard and ignored!

Our area is a two horse race and I’d be concerned about either one. The LD does seem more like they care about humans in general. I’m still not sure what I’ll do and will probably decide on the day.