How to vote 'None of the Above' in the UK
A 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option is not provided on ballot papers in the UK. Yet it's not good democracy for voters only to be able to say 'Yes' to the candidates on offer, and unable to say 'No'.
As always, there is a petition to include 'None of the Above' on UK election ballot papers.
But first, voters need to demonstrate the need for the None of the Above option.
It's convenient for our elected govern*ments to argue that non-voters are simply apathetic. It avoids the real questions of why.
Plus, every political change is better understood, better used, and longer-lasting if it is demanded from the bottom, not delivered from the top.
Only when voters deliver signif*icant numbers of protest votes, will a UK govern*ment be forced to acknowledge the demo*cratic case for NOTA.
So how can you vote 'None of the Above' in the UK now, and make the democratic case for NOTA on the ballot?
Protest votes must be clear beyond dispute:
As there is no 'None of the Above' box on the ballot in this UK election: write NONE across your ballot paper, and put a single line through all the boxes.
To make it indefensible for the Electoral Commission to dismiss your vote as 'voter intention uncertain' or 'spoilt', do not put a cross anywhere, and don't write anything more. (See 'Making Protest Votes Count')
Protest votes will count when the number increases significantly to make them newsworthy.