Are the Conservatives doomed?

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Sorry, I misread, I thought he said don't just as opposed to [/i]just don't[/i]...it's amazing how much the transposition of two words can make

Ah, gotcha!

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
What's the "spoiling your ballot" thing?

Florida on purpose.

[Kuciwalker]

My god you people are screwed up.

Why hasn't God punished you, too with hurricanes?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I think it is that they don't want it to be misconstrued for apathy, even if just in their own mind...

Not just in their own mind. Imagine 75% voter turn out with 20% spoling the ballots. Do you think that would have an impact different from 55% turnout with no spoiled ballots?

[Dauphin]

It would, and more so if there was a none of the above option to force a new election.

[*End Is Forever*]

They're bringing in a "none of the above" option.

[Drogue]

No they're not. A none of the above version is both counted and, if higher than those for any party, returns no officer or a re-election, depending on rules. Spoiling the ballot doesn't. Spoling the ballot is exactly like not voting at all, except it makes you feel better, and it means the counters have another ballot to throw away.

[*End Is Forever*]

They do count spoilt ballots, and profusely so. Have you ever been to an election count?

"None of the above" is not necessarily re-open nominations, either.

[Drogue]

They count spoiled ballots? How do they know how many are spoiled by accident and how many on purpose?

That doesn't change the fact they still count for nothing. Has there even been a none of the above won and it not reopened nominations? I thought if that happened in an election, at least the rules I've seen, it returns no officer, and that area goes unrepresented?

[*End Is Forever*]

They are considering introducing a "none of the above" option in Parliamentary elections - but I think that will take the form of a "positive abstention" with no effect on the overall result.

In student politics candidates getting RONned is surprisingly common.

Spoiled ballots are counted and treble-checked and in tight races there will often be a dispute over what counts as a valid vote or not. They don't separate deliberately spoiled ballots from accidentally spoiled ones, though, no.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by notyoueither


Not just in their own mind. Imagine 75% voter turn out with 20% spoling the ballots. Do you think that would have an impact different from 55% turnout with no spoiled ballots?

Yes, and I wish more people would do it. Some of these British elections have astonishingly low turnouts (<20% in some areas). If people do feel strongly it would be nice for them to be able to have some variety of N/A vote and they be counted.

[Zulu Elephant]

Spoiling your ballot doesn't make any practical difference, but neither does voting in most safe constituencies.

Its symbolic. Watch a few episodes of 'The West Wing' and you'll soon be converted to the cause of sybolism in politics

[Shi Huangdi]

A question: Should Labour retain it's majority, how likely is it that whoever replace Blair will have similar foreign policy views to Blair? Is it likely Blair's replacement would be someone anti-US and Pro-France/Germany?

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
A question: Should Labour retain it's majority, how likely is it that whoever replace Blair will have similar foreign policy views to Blair? Is it likely Blair's replacement would be someone anti-US and Pro-France/Germany?

Doesn't look like Blair is going anywhere quite yet...

[monolith94]

Was britain really so bad in the eighties???