Mastodawn

Cheryl Morgan 4d ago

There is a little-known far-right political party registered in Scotland, with politics similar to Reform. It doesn’t really operate as a party. It seeks no publicity, delivers no leaflets, does no canvassing. It lies low and does zero campaigning, avoiding attention, hoping not to be noticed … until polling day.
Its plan is that on polling day, voters quickly scanning down the list of parties will put their cross against one that superficially looks like the Greens. (1/4)

Stevie West 4d ago

This far-right party is called “Independent Green Voice”. Do not vote for them by mistake. (2/4)

Stevie West 4d ago

By talking about them, getting publicity, raising awareness, we can expose them and directly counter their stealth strategy.

Please warn other Green voters in Scotland. If you want to vote Green, vote for the real Scottish Green Party. Don’t be deceived. (3/4)

Stevie West 4d ago

They don’t plan to get any of their candidates elected. They just want to take enough votes away from the Scottish Green Party to reduce the number of Green MSPs being elected. They succeeded in the 2021 election, costing the Greens two MSPs – Glasgow and South of Scotland. (4/4)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Green_Voice

Independent Green Voice - Wikipedia

Martin Rundkvist 4d ago

@steviferous
Anecdotally, it seems that in the past 15 years a considerable number of Swedish citizens with recent immigrant background have voted for the S-something Democrats and mistakenly picked the virulently xenophobic Sweden Democrats instead of the Social Democrats.

Furbland's Very Cool Mastodon™4d ago

@steviferous just going to CC @ScottishGreens on this

And @greenparty_ie and @greenpartyni (across the water).

@HazelChu - is there a risk of this (stealth candidate with confusingly similar party name) happening in Ireland?

Tane Piper ⁂4d ago

@steviferous @acf the guy is clearly a psyop grifter. This was his previous political drive.

http://www.aforceforgood.org.uk/info/about

Oliver D. Reithmaier 4d ago

@steviferous bruh if somebody votes for things "by mistake", you shouldn't want their vote.

Stevie West 4d ago

@odr_k4tana The issue here is impersonation – deception. Read about what they did in 2021. There were many complaints and testimonials from deceived voters after that election, but the Electoral Commission didn’t act on them.
A similar case was the fake party calling itself the “Literal Democrats” in 1994. They fooled enough voters who had intended voting for the Liberal Democrats to switch that result.

Oliver D. Reithmaier 4d ago

@steviferous yeah but I mean, reading attentively shouldn't be too much to ask for voting. It's not a book.

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
Former poll clerk here (in Ireland).
I was one of the staff at a table beside a ballot box all day on polling day, checking ID, handing out ballot papers, and talking to voters.
Some voters actually cannot read, because they are illiterate. Are you saying their votes don't matter?

Oliver D. Reithmaier 3d ago

@dec23k @steviferous genuine question: how do they know who they're voting for? Do they get audio guides?

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
Staff on site are often asked to be audio guides :-)
Excuses include "I forgot my glasses" or "the light in here is terrible", followed by a request for help. We have strict guidelines on how to give that help, for example we can mark the paper only in certain circumstances.

Every GE in Ireland has each candidate's photo on the ballot paper, and the party logo (except for independents).

Ballot paper templates are made available (in Braille).

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government-in-ireland/elections-and-referenda/voting/facilities-for-voters-with-disabilities/

Facilities for voters with disabilities

Procedures to help people with disabilities to exercise their voting rights.

Oliver D. Reithmaier 3d ago

@dec23k @steviferous that's good! But regarding the OP, I don't think it qualifies as an example, as there are explicit guides for people who are impaired visually etc. I believe OP was concerned about people voting for something by mistake, which to me means they must be inattentive. Again I am of the opinion that if you're not careful when voting you are entitled to consequences.

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
I only served as poll clerk for a few years but I never heard of any voters identifying as illiterate; it was always an excuse, often delivered with a nod and a wink.

As for the OP, some sneaky bastards are being sneaky, and doing so repeatedly. They are at risk of losing deposit if they don't get enough votes, but they keep standing anyway because the objective is being met.
Saying that voters should be more careful at the ballot box is (in my opinion) victim blaming.

Oliver D. Reithmaier 3d ago

@dec23k @steviferous everything can be victim blaming if you just squint hard enough.

Quite frankly, if it's not too much to ask of diabetics like me to buy coke zero instead of the sugary one, it shouldn't be too much to ask to discern the names of parties on a piece of paper for a person able to comprehend information.

@odr_k4tana @dec23k @steviferous And you'd have no problem whatsoever if the shop stocked C0ke Zer0, which comes in a red can with swirly black lettering, and contains sugar

Reading your obviously-stupid responses made me quite angry

Oliver D. Reithmaier 2d ago

@jackeric @dec23k @steviferous riiiight. Because I can't recognise that it's different. Because I don't read the labels. Or names. I'm a zombie who only looks at colours and shapes.

Mysturji 3d ago

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
Education is a wonderful thing.
Not everybody gets one.

Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE 4d ago

@steviferous @odr_k4tana I thought rules were subsequently brought in to make this sort of thing harder? Doesn't help if the regulators don't enforce, of course.

@odr_k4tana It's not about "wanting" a vote, it's about a group intentionally playing on people's lack of awareness in order to upset what their intended choice is. YES you can fault the voters, and NO you cannot say naivete is a good reason to cheat people. I question YOUR motive in phrasing it this way. It's bullying. i.e. you don't do it the way I do therefore you shouldn't have a vote is what you leave behind you with this comment.

Mysturji 3d ago

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
Because you (being perfect) have never been fooled by anyone, ever, so fuck anyone who does get fooled?
No. That’s not how it works.
We don’t want their votes going to con artists.
Give your head a wobble.

Oliver D. Reithmaier 3d ago

@mysturji @steviferous and I don't want people falling for phishing emails (as per my profession). Bad news: the answer to both those things is the same: take your time with the task, be careful when you do it. But once a mistake happens, you can't take it back.

Mysturji 2d ago

@odr_k4tana @steviferous
I refer you to my post about education.
Instead of dissing them, maybe try educating them? Politely?
That might help.

Oliver D. Reithmaier 2d ago

@mysturji @steviferous I answer politely when I'm asked politely. The OP is not about education, this was covered in my exchange with others in this thread. People who cannot read have all the aid they need at the polls.

Boris Barbour 4d ago

Someone should register "Independent Reform Voice" in exactly the same way.

Chitchat 4d ago

@steviferous so so sick of all the political manipulation. And of the apparent lack of political will to do anything about it

Tricia🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿󠁧󠁢󠁳🇪🇺3d ago

@steviferous I've just posted a photo of the candidates standing in my region. I've never heard of half of them! They sound dodgy to me, though.

h4nd / UntouchedCupOfTea 3d ago

@steviferous
Sounds like they need 10 of those for the other side of the political spectrum...

h4nd / UntouchedCupOfTea 3d ago

@steviferous
When it's become obviously stupid, perhaps then it'll get banned.