For the UK posters (but it would also apply in the US)

I don’t vote any more, not since about 1989 (I used to live in Northern Ireland so I was even more limited and certainly no chance to vote on real issues that affected me) when I realised that when I didn’t agree say with the SDLP the apparently only option for a Catholic voter (I’m a recovering Catholic) or any other party that didn’t have anything that I agreed with. Today having had the time to grow and a lot of time to absorb what each of the main parties stand for and see each parties legacy i.e. the mire that we now have to exist in and the future isn’t too appealing. I find that not one party addresses any of my inner values or my stance of anti-war and any supporting of it. Not to mention the agenda of forming NWO based alliances with the EU or WTO IMF UN etc etc

I don’t think that anything will change because the apparatus for change doesn’t exist (if it ever did?) But, one thing that I’m passionately in favour of is a means of showing my displeasure or more accurately, disgust of the political pigs at the trough both here in UK\Europe and your hogs in US. The only way that I and others that I’ve raised this idea with agree with me is the inclusion of - NONE OF THE ABOVE – on the ballot paper. I’m convinced that this would drive people to the poles so that an election would actually represent the majority not the tiny minority as it currently does here and in say the US.

Can you imagine the BBC reporting that the country had a massive turnout in today’s elections with a 85% turnout. Only to report that the landslide majority voted NONE OF THE ABOVE!

Wouldn’t this be a way to at least start a new way forward and break free from the current irrelevant and damaging systems that offer nothing but economic enslavement and nanny state control?

Yes I will make a comment. I agree that the self serving bunch are all in it for themselves, just hear the garbabe they are coming out with before the news on their drive to get a vote.
I make a point of voting for anyone other than the main three parties, I also couldn't vote for any "Green" candidate.
As for the BBC reporting facts, well they're in the pocket of the Labour group.

your scenario with a {NONE OF THE ABOVE} selection

i think would only drive the powers that be to even further saturate the mass media with cult-of-personality sound bytes...
(think of the USAs Sen Obama & the tripe his handlers script for him)

The problem would be how would a 'none of the above' vote affect the rest of the votes, because it should. I voted for the first time not long ago and I didn't vote for anyone I wanted I voted for another party to make sure the party I didn't want to get in didn't get in. It wasn't like there was a good party to vote for anyway.

Originally posted by Edn
The problem would be how would a 'none of the above' vote affect the rest of the votes, because it should. I voted for the first time not long ago and I didn't vote for anyone I wanted I voted for another party to make sure the party I didn't want to get in didn't get in. It wasn't like there was a good party to vote for anyway.

It would affect because these 'minority' main parties would no longer have the majority mandate to act on as the 'None of the above' vote would mean that the majority of people didn't want any of these parties in power. So, there mandates would be seen as not what people want and they would be forced to actually produce a mandate that reflected what people really want?

I see the none of the above linked to having to vote which has been discussed several times on AP.

I do exercise my right and visit the polling station for each election, general, district or local. If I do not find any of the candidates worthy on my vote, I spoil my ballet paper so my vote gets recorded as a spoiled paper.

I do agree that there should be the opportunity to record that none of the offered candidates are worth my vote.

With the non of the above option, it would give the elected candidate a real view of how many of the elector voted for him or her.

The only thing about voting "None of the Above" is that it gets you nothing. Here in the U.S. we have the power on the write-in vote. You can write in anyone you want. Personally, I intend to write-in a vote for Ron Paul this Nov. At least that way, I get a vote for the person I support. How about the rest of you?