talkmagic.co.uk

Do y'all have a 'None of the Above' option on the ballot?

Nope.

nah we dont need one. we either just dont bother to vote, or spoil the ballot paper.
Saves a fortune in printing an extra box.

The real reason we dont have it is here in Wiki..

When None of the Above is listed on a ballot, there is the possibility of NOTA receiving a majority of the vote. In such a case, a variety of formal procedures may be invoked, including having the office remain vacant, having the office filled by appointment, re-opening nominations or holding another election (in a body operating under parliamentary procedure).

our system will not allow nobody to be in government.. which is kind of the right thing to do if you think about it. Unfortunatly it will allow two parties to share.. as is happening at the moment, though this is not as bad as you might think. after next months cuts though, this view may very well change drasticaly!

In the UK votes are cast by marking a cross on a ballot paper by hand. So if you don't like any of the candidates, you have the option of spoiling your ballot paper by writing obscenities on it or whatever.

This isn't possible in the USA, where voting is done by punching a card or using a touch-screen computer.

The Electoral Reform Society has been pushing for a 'None of the above' option for years and it was very close to being implemented under the last days of the previous government. Sadly, once the election date had been announced and the swift clear up of outstanding legislation taken place the idea was swept out with the rest of the items they allegedly didn't have time to do.

Now a different system of voting is being considered it stands very little chance of being taken into account unless enough people make enough noise to get the idea adopted.

Actually, you know, there needs to be a law that says if you didn't vote in the last general election then you're not allowed to complain about the government until the next general election.

What if you voted for the current government? Can you complain then or do you have a "coalition was not what I voted for" get out of jail free card?

Nah, just if you didn't take part you can't bitch about the mess the outcome makes of things.

I'm very much in favour of a 'None of the Above' option.

Not turning up to vote can be interpreted as apathy. A spoiled ballot paper could be seen as a childish prank.

Making a decisive comment that none of the candidates represent you well enough to merit receiving your vote is much less ambiguous.

Some go one step further to suggest that a majority NOTA vote should result in a re-election. And they'll have to campaign again and again until they give us something we actually want.

Personally, I'd argue that just a recod of the proportion of voters that didn't want any of the candidates and parties would be a good thing in tempering any claims that politicians have public support or a 'mandate' for anything.

Pete

I suppose that if AV or whatever comes in then NotA will be a more likely possibility...

Bombard your PM (even if they're not your choice) with requests to get this option included. Most of 'em have e-mail adresses for public use so it won't cost anything and it might bring about some change in the system which the electorate actually like rather than what the politicians think we'll put up with.

OK, soapbox away...for now

Some voting systems have "re-open nominations" as an option - presumably if that option 'wins' then, well, the election will be re-called

I though voting liberal was the same as none of the above.lol

Eddie Booth wrote:I though voting liberal was the same as none of the above.lol

It quite clearly isn't as the Liberals now form part of the current government.

In Ireland we have a strong tradition of spoiling our vote, as a protest. The vast majority of spoiled votes are deliberately spoiled, and when they planned on introducing electronic voting here (didn't happen in the end) one of the big objections was that it did not offer the chance of spoiling your vote.