They're not voting because...
- Spoiling a ballot paper isn't enough...
Spoiling a ballot paper isn't enough to be a "none of the above" because there's no way of distinguishing deliberate spoiling from accidental spoiling. While you can attribute a certain percentage to deliberate spoiling there would have to be a HUGE increase in spoilt ballots for anyone to take notice. We need a proper "None of the Above" option, ideally with rules as to what happens when a significant percentage of votes are cast for it.
I'm seriously sick of the current breed of politicians, whose sole interest seems to lie in getting or retaining power - not in doing something valuable with the power, just in having it. The rule seems to be: when in Opposition, trash the Government and promise the People anything, because you don't have to deliver it; when in Government, trash the Opposition and lie about what you promised you'd deliver, what you are delivering, and what you will be delivering, because there's nothing anyone can do about it.
written 18th Apr 2005
Responses
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Gordon replies: You can always vote for an Independent Candidate, who usually, like myself, are not career politicians, but want a better representation of the voters in Parliament.
written 18th Apr 2005
I am standing as an Independent in Gillingham, Kent -
idle replies: "We need a proper..." yeah, right, like Labour/Tory are going to change THAT.
There are many ways we could improve the system. But they take decades to evolve from a good idea into practise. All you can do is make a vote. That's it. The vote wont change the world or stop politicians from lying, it MIGHT have an effect if enough of us make a protest vote.
Think - it'll really piss off your local candidates when they realise people made the effort to deliberately spoil their ballot!
written 18th Apr 2005 -
Spoiler replies: In one sense you are correct that it is impossible to distinguish between an 'actively' spolit ballot and once spoilt in error or out of stupidity.
However, if there is a signiicant rise, many of us will nbe pressing the returning officers to distinguish those that were clearly spoilt in protest.
We will attempt do this under the freedom of information act.
written 26th Apr 2005 -
Tiger43 replies: I`m just seeing how many times spoil or spoilt is being used. Most interesting.
written 26th Apr 2005 -
Keith replies: Okay, so why not spoil the paper with a purpose?
Let's start a campaign -
CHANGE THE SYSTEM
If you believe that there needs to be proportional representation or that whips should be banned, or even that political parties should be no more than super-lobby-groups...
Write CTS (for Change The System) in a circle on your ballot paper. If we publicize this idea enough, tell your friends, it might lead to change.
Right now only about 55% vote - what if it were 90% and the hitherto missing 35% all wrote an encircled CTS on their ballot paper. Boy! Would that send a message - they'd ignore that at their peril.
C H A N G E T H E S Y S T E M
CTS
written 26th Apr 2005