Two alternate views on the forthcoming local elections have given food for thought. Justin of Chicken Yoghurt says that we should spoil our ballot papers, while Chris of Stumbling & Mumbling says not voting is the way forward. And I’ve been mulling it ever since, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it truly is like the proverbial rock and a hard place.

Both Chris and Justin are right, when they say the alternative solution will be spun by politicians to mask the true situation. Spoilt papers can be attributed to nutters or those who disagree with the democratic process itself (even if Justin’s excellent suggestion of using stickers to spoil is used, as very few people will ever see the ballot papers collated together). Meanwhile, not voting at all will be portrayed as contentment. The horrible truth is that neither accomplish very much - it’s not as if when more people spoil their vote than the “winning” candidate gets, or turnout is below a quorum level, a ward or constituency does not return a representative (maybe such rules should apply, I don’t see a good reason not to).

I can think of one reason to prefer spoiling over not showing: the most usual “remedy” for low turnout is compulsory voting; as well as being a total affront to the idea of voting being a matter of choice, it is an admission of total failure by the political establishment: “We have failed as political parties to engage you in politics, but rather than take a good look at ourselves and change, we’ll just force you.” (same goes for the state funding of political parties). It attacks symptoms, not cause, even though the cause is staring you in the face.

(As an aside, there’s evidence that compulsory voting leads to the person at the top of the ballot having a greater chance of success. So much for making an informed decision)

So, compulsory voting is just plain wrong, and to give the political parties an opportunity to foist it upon us by not turning out is not the answer. But this is still not a great reason for the other; it’s a totally negative reason and there are still no clear benefits to spoiling. It doesn’t actually tackle the problems any more than refusing to vote.

As it happens, this isn’t just a theoretical problem where I live. My electoral ward elects three councillors, yet the only parties that are putting up three candidates are Labour, the Conservatives and the Respect mob. Hilariously, the solitary Lib Dem candidate (who I might have considered voting for) was nominated by someone who doesn’t turn 18 until after the election and has been disqualified by the Returning Officer. There are no Greens, only a Christian People’s Alliance (creepily, they have targeted the entire borough of Newham, as if we are the ones most desperately in need of salvation) and a mysterious Independent candidate.

So I’m faced with not being able to vote for a party I would want to since I turned 18. Even if I did vote Tory as an anti-Labour gesture (which would not be of any great consequence as the ward’s a Labour shoo-in with Respect coming second), it still means one more vote for that smug, vacuous, idea-barren stuffed shirt Cameron to claim as part of his support, and I can’t bring myself to do that. So I’m having to square myself with the least terrible option of spoiling, the only hope I have of not being totally disenfranchised.

I shouldn’t fret too much. It’s just a local election; and in any case the ballot box is only part of the greater whole of democracy. But it’s a pretty important part. It makes me feel angry, and spoiling my vote doesn’t do enough in conveying or assuaging that anger.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 11th, 2006 at 17:50:01 and is filed under General.