Voting quizzes...

[DuesToTheDirt]

I'm going to spoil by ballot, but just for fun (if there is such a thing any more!) I thought I'd try some who-should-I-vote-for quizzess. Hmm.

https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/#issues_section#started - no mention of women's rights. I tried clicking on 'Equalities and rights', to see where that took me, and it then said, "We're comparing policies on 4 topics: human rights, race equality, LGBTQ+ equality, and disability rights." So that's me told.

Then there's this one. https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz. Nothing at all on women's rights, sex or gender, except for same-sex marriage.

This one <a class="break-all" href="https://survey.yougov.com/vSlJkVQgPdTzvY#isurvey-us.yougov.com/refer/v3mycG7sMW0Ny8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://survey.yougov.com/vSlJkVQgPdTzvY#isurvey-us.yougov.com/refer/v3mycG7sMW0Ny8 is more philosophical, e.g. "Ordinary working people get their fair share of the nation's wealth," "People are largely responsible for their own outcomes in life" etc. - agree or disagree (on a scale).

https://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/ in contrast has some very specific questions, e.g. "A 'wealth tax' should be introduced at a rate of 1% per year for those with assets of over £10 million and 2% for those over a £1 billion raising £15 billion per year for the Government by 2029" - agree or disagree (on a scale). Women do not feature in the questions.

A couple came up on facebook a few weeks ago, posted by local candidates. I started to look at them, before realising you had to prioritise about 10 different issues, with women's rights not appearing at all.

I didn't fill in the surveys above, as women's rights are a dealbreaker, and without that question the surveys are meaningless.

So I guess even the online quizzes can't suggest anyone I can vote for!

Why would you bother with any of these quizzes that inevitably have been posted by people/ organizations with various axes to grind? I’m just voting for the party that best aligns with my overall views across a very wide range of policy areas 🤷‍♀️

I was just curious. As I said, I've already decided I'm spoiling my ballot, and really, the quizzes confirm for me that I should do that!

Why would you spoil your ballot?

I reckon people should pick their preferred or least worst option, or start their own political party. I don’t understand the logic or spoiling a ballot. It’s such an ineffective means of protest. Literally no-one counts these or says, oh hey, so many spoiled ballots, what are we doing wrong? How can we improve and better represent people?!?

This folder is bristling with threads where posters are explaining again and again why they have reluctantly decided to spoil their ballots.

https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

does include questions on transgender issues etc. You have to show more in each category to get further questions.

Yeah, and although I appreciate how people feel, I think spoiling ballots is probably misguided. That’s ok. They are allowed to bristle, and I’m allowed to say why I’m not doing the same and say I’m sorry they are spoiling their ballots. Right?

I did a quiz that works out what "type" of voter you are, by the national centre for social research (never heard of it. Dh sent me link). And I confused it utterly, because I don't fit into any box so it called me an apolitical centrist.

I'm not apolitical at all, although I'm fairly neutral on a lot of issues. I'm just very vehement on some other, seemingly disparate issues, like criminal sentencing and childcare funding.

There's no party that fits my views. I'm pro-women, pro-children, pro-immigration. Maybe apolitical centrist is the closest really

https://natcen.ac.uk/quiz-voter-profile

Thanks for this, dh and I both did this side by side and it was fun. He got 91% labour and my top option was... 70% the reclaim party ie Lawrence Fox! Erm, nope, not likely, I'm not sure I agree with him on anything at all really.

Dh says it's because my views are a weird combination so that's why I got only maximum 70% match. Huh!

@the2andahalfmillion there is no "preferred or least worst option". The candidates are all unacceptable to me. I feel like a turkey asked if they want to vote for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

I tried the suggested quizes, @CrossPurposes and @Mumoftwo1316 . One gave me 'left-leaning liberal' (possibly true, but rather vague), and the other one had my top hit as the Animal Welfare Party - strange as I'd never heard of them . Second hit was Alba.

Spoiled ballots are acknowledged on the count and the candidates have an opportunity to read them. My feeling is you do what you want in the privacy of the polling booth, as long as you are happy that your vote may not count or help towards a particular outcome. I suspect the temptation to spoil a ballot grows when a voter is not happy with a candidate who is a very clear likely winner and doesn’t fancy any other option