1. Don't be silent. Be heard!
If you really don't want any of the candidates or parties in this election, then show it.
If you don't vote, you are silent and invisible. You are assumed not to know or care. If that's wrong, show it.
Show that life and the future matter to you.
'To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of men.'
Attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Voting NONE is a positive protest that says:
'I believe in democracy, but I do not support any of the candidates in this election. I want better politics in the UK'.
2. Show there is a demand for better politics
There is a lot of criticism of UK politics, but is there any real public demand for better politics? Show there is.
Voting NONE shows that there is political opinion that is not currently represented by the parties, and that there really is support for different candidates, different policies and potentially different politics.
3. Reveal the lack of support for those elected
When a single party forms a government, like the Conservatives now and Labour in 2005, they have the support of less than a quarter of registered voters. (See The 'Unheard Third'.)
It's a scandal. But because non-voters are invisible, the scandal is invisible. Next time, make the scandal visible.
If just some of the Unheard Third vote NONE, the protest for change can be the largest ever in UK history, and show the low support for those elected.
If you want that, vote NONE.
Like all votes in a democracy, there need to be large numbers. So encourage others too.
4. Establish democratic protest as a healthy part of UK elections
Without the option to vote NONE, an election only allows voters to say 'yes' to what is on offer. It's why many people are silent.
Democracy was achieved through protest. It's a vital tradition that brought much of what we value in the world today. So it's time to use our democracy to protest positively for a better politics in the UK, and establish the option to vote NONE as a natural part of UK elections. See Protest Votes Count.
What if NONE wins in some constituencies?
NONE hasn't won in the UK, but it has in other countries in smaller elections, see 'None of the Above'.
If NONE wins, it should require a new election with all new candidates. However…
NONE doesn't need to 'win' to be successful.
Success is:
● showing the lack of support for what is offered, and
● proving there is a demand for better politics.