Peoples here have differing views about how to vote when we don't identify with any of the parties eligible to run in elections. Some vote blank, some vote for the lesser evil, some vote for the opposition party of the worst evil which has the most chances to win, and some don't vote at all.
I've to illustrate some situations and explain the options below:
Vote for the lesser evil. A lesser evil could be a party which is in line with most of your views but differ about some. Like many of the current nationalistic parties in Europe (NPD, FPÖ, PVV, FN and so forth), some for example want immigrants to integrate and remove their specific national characteristics to become part of your country. But that party isn't necessarily a strong party which could win the election.
Vote for the strongest candidate of the opposition. This could be called the enemy of my enemy strategy. You don't go to vote for someone, but against someone. So for example you want to vote out the establishment candidate, so you pick a maybe less compatible candidate in terms of world view, but one who has more popularity and represents the realistic opposition against the people you don't want winning - could be someone like McCain against Obama. If you add a numerical vote it means a double minus for Obama, because if you give it to a smaller candidate who couldn't win it still couldn't damage the primary candidates versus score.
Vote blank or spoil your vote. This could mean you use your voting rights, but you refuse to support anyone who has points against your views. Maybe none of the candidates represent anything you stand for and you have a moral issue with voting for any of them, but you neither want to stay home because you're afraid of corruption and your vote being used anyway. Voting blank could be a strategy against corruption, in a corrupt system, also if you're pressured to vote by your company or social setting. Also voting blank if you want to make a stand, because you believe voting is just a sham and the system doesn't have diversified enough options.
Note: voting blank (or white vote) is a vote when you don't select any candidates by not stamping your paper for example, or for voting "none of the above", if the option exists. This form of voting nulls your vote, but there are political initiatives who want to introduce the option none and have it counted. Spoiling your vote is when for example you vote for all candidates, make your vote unclear, stamp the wrong side of the paper, add your own candidate to the paper, draw or write some personal notes on the paper, etc. More uncommon, extreme forms to spoil a vote include physical destruction of the ballot (for example, throwing it in the trash, ripping it apart or even eating it), but these are possibly illegal and carry penalties. Spoiling the vote is a method used by peoples who are too suspicious of corruption to cast a white vote, like they fear their empty paper will be stamped.
Don't vote. You're maybe disgusted with all candidates and/or the system, you don't want to bother wasting your time and you don't want to vote blank because you'd still be taking part in the elections. Maybe you don't believe in voting or democracy, so you decide to ignore a principle which isn't part of your view. Or maybe you're convinced your voting won't change anything and have better things to do on a Sunday.
Vote for the greater evil. (Added this option also since there are advocates). It seems like the obvious thing not to do, however you believe the establishment is corrupt and/or the parties representing your views aren't strong enough to make gains. So, you give your vote for the establishment, because you think their winning now will make peoples more unhappy in the future and the opposition will grow strong enough to be an electoral threat later. Or maybe because you think the whole system is corrupt and even if the opposition formed government, it would still be bound in many ways. By voting for the establishment and eliminating the opposition, you believe the decadence of the system won't be prolonged.
Other alternative. Maybe an alternative like voting for a parody party, like the APPD was in Germany, voting for who the coin flips in favor of, etc. If I've not covered any alternative, please mention and explain it.
So please vote on do you deal with voting and which do you think is the most realistic and numerically advantageous alternative?
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