One of the funny things I’ve noticed of late is the claim you should spoil your ballots rather than not vote or vote for protest parties “because all the candidates have to see the spoilt ballots” and I’m imagining the procedure they think exists for this.
Rishi Sunak at his count led into a little side room by a copper and handed 400 bits of paper with “Rishi Sunak is a knob” written on them and not allowed out until he’s read them all.
Please draw a racoon with an extended scrotum next to all the establishment party candidates to express your displeasure. This will send a powerful message.
The candidates wouldn’t see, but main parties have representatives standing over the counts, so you *can* get an idea, and if there were lots of spoiled ballots, it would be noticed. I was at a 2005 count, and you could see “Iraq” spoiled ballots.
(I still don’t think it’s a worthwhile action.)
Sure but in most seats the candidates reps broadly don’t follow what’s going on more than (in my experience of about seven or eight counts) rough number of spoiled. Sometimes they pay more attention because it’s gonna be tight but usually not
Is there not a part of the count where they show nominees of each candidates spoilt and doubtful votes? Is in Ireland, many of best anecdotes from the day come out of it
They *can* see them, yes. Or they can trust the numbers given to them (which is generally what happens outside of - as I say in another reply - cranky candidates desperate for more votes). But in the safer seats they don’t tend to push too much and it’s not *the candidates have to*.
Yes, you’re right that any detail is lost, only sheer numbers would be an issue. I think it’s a wholly pointless thing to do: may as well not vote. Same message imo.
If it's very close the agents will see all the spoilt papers because they'll be looking for any that could be argued to be a legitimate vote for their candidate. Otherwise only the team leader for one table at the count will see it and all the people who are entitled to see it won't bother.
Yeah someone from the party does see them - when I stood for council someone crossed out all the candidates and then wrote best of a bad job next to my name I did try and argue it was a vote for me
Eh as I say in another reply “can” doesn’t = “does” which doesn’t = “have to”. In my experience of the count the only ones who really pay attention (v safe Labour seats here) are weirdo independents.
ha ha people who have never been to a count (at whatever level) are missing out, it really is funny as during the night you get a sense of well you are doing and how people's faces change etc
It is good. And weirdly, doing a count actually gave me a lot more respect for the democratic process and even the candidates.
But mostly some funny anecdotes.
sounds like it to me !!! the best one I saw was when we only had a Lab and Con candidate (ps safe tory ward) and ticked our candidate then said lack of democracy meant he had no choice, the counting agent rejected it jeez !! I mean tory won by 700 FFS !!
