'None of the Above'

[hard2miss]

I have always said that voting should be mandatory but with an option on the ballet that lets you nullify your vote (a none of the above option).

 

I think people just being made to go will give more interest and people would use their vote more and strengthen the democratic system.

[happyhippy]

If there were an option on this Thursday's ballot paper saying 'none of the above' would you tick it. I would. I don't have any respect for any of the candidates and quite frankly there is no reason why the electorate should take them seriously.

 

I've been banging on about this for years, but I would still have a "Don't know" box for those who genuinely didn't know, but wanted to vote for someone.

[happyhippy]

Yes.

 

The closest thing to that option that we have is to spoil your ballot paper. These still have to be included in the final tally.

 

Indeed, and some of us do just this thing.

[Alien]

Not voting is a vote of no confidence in effect. Making it clear on a piece of paper is more about being heard as an individual. If you feel the need to shout so loudly, run for office.

[happyhippy]

Not voting is a vote of no confidence in effect. Making it clear on a piece of paper is more about being heard as an individual. If you feel the need to shout so loudly, run for office.

 

Are you going to put up the money for the deposit which I'd no doubt lose then?

[Alien]

Are you going to put up the money for the deposit which I'd no doubt lose then?

 

If you think you'd lose then why vote for someone you actually don't know.

 

How much is the deposit? I'll check me Whisky bottle..

[happyhippy]

It's about a grand now, isn't it? I didn't even bother checking my whiskey bottle, well, aside from the one which still has liquid in it

 

Thing is, not voting isn't a vote of no confidence, it's simply not voting. I'd rather people spoilt their paper than didn't bother.

[Alien]

It's about a grand now, isn't it? I didn't even bother checking my whiskey bottle, well, aside from the one which still has liquid in it

 

Thing is, not voting isn't a vote of no confidence, it's simply not voting. I'd rather people spoilt their paper than didn't bother.

 

 

I'm seriously thinking of not voting this time round...I may change my mind at the last moment mind you. The reason being is I lack confidence in any of them. I can't get beyond no confidence. It may sound very pessimistic but that's how I see politicians at mo. Going to a box and ticking in my view is just a waste of energy...sad, but there ya go.

[Hairyloon]

If there were an option on this Thursday's ballot paper saying 'none of the above' would you tick it. I would.

For "None of the Above" to appear on the paper, the consequences of NotA winning would have had to be predetermined.

Would there be any purpose to a simple re-election?

Is it the candidates we've lost faith in, or the parties they represent?

 

I suggest that if NotA wins, then the MP is selected at random from the electorate.

I would. I mentioned this before, I'm thinking of starting a petition about it after the election (when the number10 site reopens).

If they don't pull their fingers out then go step further and call a referendum about it.

[HeadingNorth]

It's about a grand now, isn't it? I didn't even bother checking my whiskey bottle, well, aside from the one which still has liquid in it

 

Thing is, not voting isn't a vote of no confidence, it's simply not voting. I'd rather people spoilt their paper than didn't bother.

 

Some people do decline to vote as a protest, or a statement of no confidence in any candidate; but there's no way to distinguish those from the much larger number of people who don't vote because they have no interest whatsoever in politics and couldn't name the PM or any member of Parliament, let alone who their own MP is.

 

On the other hand, we also cannot distinguish between a ballot paper spoilt in protest and one wrongly filled in by an incompetent buffoon and therefore counted as spoilt. (I'd like to think that the number of sufficiently incompetent buffoons messing up something as simple as a ballot paper, is very small.)

 

I'm right behind the inclusion of "I decline to vote" as an option on the ballot paper. I'm less convinced that nullifying the election because "NotA" won it, is a good idea, but I'm willing to be argued into it.