FabSwingers.com forum: Spoilt ballots

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

With voter apathy and turn outs being discussed from previous elections, are spoilt ballots pointless? Personally i would say yes, as whatever context used to spoil it, otber than counting it as a spoilt vote, the context is ignored.

As for voter apathy, i may not vote, not because I'm apathetic, but through lack of a credible party to vote for

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Are spoilt ballots a worthy political statement that is

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

a spoilt ballot is just an abstention .... the fact that you turn out is the key element

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"a spoilt ballot is just an abstention .... the fact that you turn out is the key element "

The way it's spoilt isn't categorised.. In that you could write a political statement, or draw a guy smoking a spliff for a laugh

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"a spoilt ballot is just an abstention .... the fact that you turn out is the key element

The way it's spoilt isn't categorised.. In that you could write a political statement, or draw a guy smoking a spliff for a laugh"

no ... but the turnout is counted

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"a spoilt ballot is just an abstention .... the fact that you turn out is the key element

The way it's spoilt isn't categorised.. In that you could write a political statement, or draw a guy smoking a spliff for a laugh

no ... but the turnout is counted"

In that case then a 'non of the above' box would help?

I suppose thete wouldn't be many willing to go through tbe effort of going to a polling station to draw a fave

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What a total waste of time to bother rocking up just to spoil the ballot paper

Why not just stay at home!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

if you wanna be a lazy fecker then fill yer boots .... no-one here is telling you to spoil yer ballot or vote for a party

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"What a total waste of time to bother rocking up just to spoil the ballot paper

Why not just stay at home!!"
There are many people who cannot stomach any party. Its their right to say non of the above are fit for office.Its their time to spend how they see fit.

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By *xplicitlyricsMan
over a year ago

south dublin

"What a total waste of time to bother rocking up just to spoil the ballot paper

Why not just stay at home!!"

The idea is that if you stay at home politicians arent going to bother with the issues that affect you because youre not gonna vote anyway. If you spoil the vote then they know you are a vote thats up for grabs and worth chasing.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"What a total waste of time to bother rocking up just to spoil the ballot paper

Why not just stay at home!!

But they don't know who you are! That's the point of secret ballots.....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"But they don't know who you are! That's the point of secret ballots....."

makes no difference .... they work off the stats .... the media used to report the total of spoiled ballots .... in the last two elections the media has started to differentiate between accidentaly spoilt and deliberately spoilt ballot .... and the partys are taking note of those figures .... it may be pointless to some, but to others it's a way of saying the system isn't working ... at the end of the day it's the individuals choice what they do.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I make it a point of voting but would not just go to spoil the ballot paper, just don't see the point

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

some would say it's the only alternative ... after all there's no point disliking a party then voting for them because they are marginally less crap than the others

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

"What a total waste of time to bother rocking up just to spoil the ballot paper

Why not just stay at home!!

But they don't know who you are! That's the point of secret ballots....."

Do you honestly believe its a secret ballot ?

Pay attention when you go to vote, your name is on a list (and you are also numbered) your ballot paper has a reference number which is noted next to your name by a staff member before being handed to you, all of this is then archived.

If the government/parliament want to know how you voted they have a papertrail to follow.

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

In response to the OP's question, I dont think anything is achieved by spoiling a ballot paper but the individual might well feel a sense of satisfaction from doing so, when it comes down to it, we are afforded the right to protest and if some of us choose to do so by spoiling their ballot then so be it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

if you have a problem with spoilt ballots then don't spoil your ballot ..... as for other people, let them do what the ever the fuck they want ... simple

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"With voter apathy and turn outs being discussed from previous elections, are spoilt ballots pointless? Personally i would say yes, as whatever context used to spoil it, otber than counting it as a spoilt vote, the context is ignored.

As for voter apathy, i may not vote, not because I'm apathetic, but through lack of a credible party to vote for"

On the issue of spoilt votes, I wish there were listed options to spoil your vote. And that these would have to be analyised like any other voting preference.

But then again I believe that anyone who is under 60 with no mental or physical disabilities should have to vote

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I make it a point of voting but would not just go to spoil the ballot paper, just don't see the point "

I think it makes perfect sense if you don't like any party.

It shows you CAN BE ARSED to actually go to the polling station.

It says you have an interest in who's running the country by turning up.

It then shows you do not like any political party enough to back them so you're a totally open voter that is looking for something not currently on offer.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

As for voter apathy, i may not vote, not because I'm apathetic, but through lack of a credible party to vote for

On the issue of spoilt votes, I wish there were listed options to spoil your vote. And that these would have to be analyised like any other voting preference.

But then again I believe that anyone who is under 60 with no mental or physical disabilities should have to vote

Agree on this

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I make it a point of voting but would not just go to spoil the ballot paper, just don't see the point

I think it makes perfect sense if you don't like any party.

It shows you CAN BE ARSED to actually go to the polling station.

It says you have an interest in who's running the country by turning up.

It then shows you do not like any political party enough to back them so you're a totally open voter that is looking for something not currently on offer."
yes , but a none of the above option should be available and if it's the winner the seat should be re run !

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Not only is turn out recorded.

they also have a list of non voters who they target.

our county election had a turn out that doubled in some stations in the ashfield area this has been put down to voter targeting.

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By *illwill69uMan
over a year ago

moston

Spoilt ballots are a powerful tool.

All spoilt ballots are examined multiple times and every effort is made to find a reason to disregard them as mistakes. But they are all recorded and those that are unambiguous in their rejection of all candidates are not only recorded but the ballot paper is traced to the voter (you have all noticed that your ballot paper number is recorded next to your name, so contrary to belief, no vote is secret) because anyone who actively rejects the status quo is a threat to the establishment. Therefore if the 30% to 50% that don't vote actually took the time to deliberately spoil their ballots writing something like 'none of them' across the paper then the political establishment would have a heart attack and fearing revolution would quickly change their behaviour (as seen across the eastern European states in the late 80's).

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I make it a point of voting but would not just go to spoil the ballot paper, just don't see the point "

I have a Postal Vote; I live in Scotland where their is genuinely no one worth voting for.

I will simply write "none worth voting for" on the postal vote

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By *agneto.Man
over a year ago

Bham

Totally pointless.

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