TACTIC: SPOIL THE VOTE

CURRENT USE:

The Irish Presidential election was mired by the blocking of independent Irish candidates, specifically Maria Steen, by the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael ruling coalition which adheres to the EU diktats of immigration. These globalist gombeens like Micheal Martin, Simon Harris and McEntee push immigration policies which enrich themselves and their friends through IPAS (immigration) centres and destroy the very unique fabric of Ireland's indigenous people and countryside.

In one case, the football coach Sean 'Banty' McEnaney and his family pillaged Ireland for over a hundred million Euros. What a horrible scam in Ireland.

METHOD:

Spoiling ballots—intentionally marking, defacing, writing messages on, or leaving them blank to render them invalid—has been used as a low-risk form of protest in authoritarian or semi-authoritarian contexts. It allows voters to participate in mandatory or staged elections (avoiding penalties for abstention) while signaling dissatisfaction with the regime, candidates, policies, or lack of genuine choice, without directly endorsing the system.Common Methods

• Defacing or extra markings — Crossing out names, drawing symbols, or adding unrelated marks.

• Writing protest messages — Phrases like "killer," "thief," or names of banned opponents.

• Leaving blank — Often interpreted as passive rejection, though sometimes counted separately from deliberate spoiling.

• Coordinated actions — Such as queuing at specific times to spoil ballots en masse.

POLL IN IRELAND

Taken by Ireland Thinks on the spoilt the vote.

Original link here.

From Ireland Thinks:

Late on in the campaign Maria Steen had become the most high profile candidate who failed to get on the ballot. As such, when we asked which candidate those who spoiled their ballot would have voted for, it is perhaps unsurprising that she was by far and away the most popular choice. Indeed, as above many respondents made a specific reference to her in the open ended text.

For the indepth analysis, go to the original article above.

EXAMPLES OF SPOIL THE VOTE:

These acts highlight illegitimacy, especially when invalid votes spike significantly.Historical and Recent Examples

• Peru (2000 presidential election) — Opposition candidate Alejandro Toledo withdrew, citing fraud under Alberto Fujimori's authoritarian regime, and urged supporters to spoil ballots. Around 31% of cast ballots were blank or spoiled, underscoring widespread rejection of the rigged process.

• Hong Kong (2021 legislative elections) — Pro-democracy activists called for spoiled ballots or abstention to protest Beijing's overhaul of election rules, which curtailed opposition participation. The election saw record-high invalid ballots and historically low turnout, despite government efforts to criminalize incitement and boost participation.

• Russia (various elections under Putin) — In tightly controlled votes, spoiling has been a subtle dissent tool. In 2012, nearly 800,000 ballots were spoiled amid fraud allegations. In the 2024 presidential election, opposition (including Alexei Navalny's team before and after his death) promoted "Noon Against Putin": voters queued at noon on the final day to spoil ballots, vote for minor candidates, or write Navalny's name. Actions included pouring dye into boxes or writing messages like "killer and thief" or references to Putin's ICC warrant. Invalid ballots rose 45% from 2018, reaching 1.4 million.

• Algeria (2004 legislative elections) — Low turnout (around 35%) and 14.5% spoiled ballots among cast votes protested the military-backed regime's control.

• Ecuador (under Rafael Correa's populist regime) — High spoiled ballots in municipal elections correlated with opposition to Correa's party in areas perceiving democratic erosion, distinguishing deliberate protest from accidental errors.

• Other contexts — Discussions in Iran (post-2009 Green Movement) and discussions of spoiling as an alternative to risky abstention or voting for regime-approved candidates.

In authoritarian settings, spoiled ballots offer a safer alternative to street protests or boycotts, as they occur within the electoral process. High rates can embarrass regimes seeking legitimacy through turnout and unanimous results, though authorities often downplay or repress them. When coordinated and visible, they amplify dissent and draw media attention.