Blank and spoilt ballots(Aku Ankka-votes)

[THR]

In most countries where voting is not compulsory, turn-outs tend to remain very low. Despite that there are still people who go to the trouble of getting to the polling station either to drop a blank ballot into the urn or spoil it. I have spoken with some people who have worked as election-officials and they tell very funny stories of spoilt ballots. The overwhelming number one way to spoil the ballot is to vote for Aku Ankka(The Finnish name for Donald Duck). Aku is from election to election very popular, more popular than many real candidates. It has become some sort of tradition to give one`s vote for Aku.

Similarly, though much less popular than the good old Aku-chap, is to vote for the Pope, the Satan, whoever is the current president of Russia, some famous porn-movie star etcetc. There is no limit to imagination as for which people some people are willing to cast their vote.

Another way to spoil the ballot is to write slogans such as:"Give us work, for God`s sake", "Kill all right-wing pigs" etc. Some write very long stories on the ballot paper but that is a wasted effort as the election officials work in a hurry so if they notice that a ballot is obviously spoilt, they don`t start reading the thoughts of the disillusioned voters.

Another group of people are the ones who drop a blank ballot. There is some popular myth how dropping an empty ballot is a heavy protest against the system and people who do that fulfill their civic duty to vote but since in their opinion none of the candidates is worthy of their vote, they drop an empty ballot. Be it protest or not but it counts for as much as the Aku Ankka-votes=0.

An overwhelming majority of the discarded votes have been deliberately meant to be discarded but there are at every elections people who write the name of the candidate on the ballot paper but the election law is strict: Voters write the number of the candidate of their choice on the ballot-paper. Writing a name discards the vote. There may be only the number on the ballot. If there are any other marks than the number, the vote is discarded.

Sometimes there are ballot-papers which have been written in such a blurry way that it is really hard to decipher them. None of those votes are discarded straight away but some eventually will if it is not established which number the voter has meant. Confusion exists especially between numbers 1 and 7.

At every election 1-2% of the votes are discarded for being either spoilt or blank. I`m sure that in countries where voting is compulsory by law, such things happen but can`t figure out why in a country where it isn`t, grown up people bother.

[THR]

Are there some rules in the Irish election law as to what constitutes to an invalid ballot even if the intent of the voter is clear? For example, writing some text on the ballot? Or if you by accident give the same preference to two candidates? For example, candidate A pref1, candidate B pref2, candidate C pref2, candidate D pref3.

[rockofcashel]

much the same rules as in Finland.

Technically, anything other than a number beside a candidates name invalidates the ballot.

In some cases, people put a simple "x" beside 1 name, and it is usually counted, however, if that person were to win a seat by just one vote, the losing candidate could challenge the ballot at recount on the basis that "x" may have meant that the voter didn't want the candidate (x being a popular Irish mark to mean "no", as opposed to a tick meaning "yes")

As someone who has had to re-evaluate ballots on behalf of a candidate, the returning officer generally brings up candidates representatives before the count starts to look at "possible invalid votes", and the reps go through them one by one. Some get counted, some get discounted, as generally we try to make every vote count. But, if one candidate complains, then all "possible invalids" are thrown away.

I've seen some very fuzzy papers at those evaluations.

[THR]

Thanks RoC! That was very informative. In fact, on one hand I think that a ballot should be accepted if the intent of the voter is obvious but on the other hand, where do you draw the line? Perhaps being strict on the rules is the best way to go.

There indeed are at every elections ballot-papers discarded because in addition to the number of the candidate, some voters have written something on the paper, for example:"This is a good man" etc.

The process of evaluation of possible invalids is an interesting point. That if any process demands strict impartiality on the part of the election officials.

[QuizMaster]

In Ireland, if someone votes 1,2,3,3,4,
The 1 and 2 are counted and it is considered spoiled after that in later counts.

[kerrynorth]

much the same rules as in Finland.

Technically, anything other than a number beside a candidates name invalidates the ballot.

In some cases, people put a simple "x" beside 1 name, and it is usually counted, however, if that person were to win a seat by just one vote, the losing candidate could challenge the ballot at recount on the basis that "x" may have meant that the voter didn't want the candidate (x being a popular Irish mark to mean "no", as opposed to a tick meaning "yes")

As someone who has had to re-evaluate ballots on behalf of a candidate, the returning officer generally brings up candidates representatives before the count starts to look at "possible invalid votes", and the reps go through them one by one. Some get counted, some get discounted, as generally we try to make every vote count. But, if one candidate complains, then all "possible invalids" are thrown away.

I've seen some very fuzzy papers at those evaluations.

The test is whether the voters intent can be discerned from the ballot. As you say RoC an 'x' is accepted as a 1st perference as long as there is no other mark on the ballot that may cast doubt on the vote. Similarly, if a voter express a 1st pref. and then a 3rd pref and so on without a 2nd pref. indicated the returning officer will take the 3rd pref. as the voters intended 2nd pref. However, if a voter indicates a 1st pref. and then indicates two 2nd prefs. the ballot will be invalidated as non-transferable after the 1st pref. However, again in very sticky situations that always arise in at least 1 constituency you can have cases where the votes of an entire ballot box can be invalidated because the presiding officer at the ballot box forgot to stamp the ballots when they were being handed out to the voters!

[kerrynorth]

Sorry, clicked twice.

[krayZpaving]

Writing anywhere on the ballot paper other than inside the boxes automatically spoils it.
I've been at some counts where we spent ten minutes trying to decipher whether a stroke outside a box was a "mark outside the box" or a printing error. It was likely to make a difference in what was a tight race, so very serious consideration was given to it!

[THR]

So, I take it that in Ireland it is not a common practice to drop an empty ballot in the urn but those who deliberately spoil their ballot do it by smudging it somehow. Well, the value of either way is equal=0.

However, in Finland some disillusioned voters have this obsession that a blank vote is some sort of heavy protest against society and politicians. Not bothering to turn up to vote is apathy and writing or drawing silly things on the ballot is silly and childish. The huge amount of unmarked ballots which have been cast would send some sort of message to the politicians that people are not happy. Well, everyone may think what he likes but I find that way of thinking as completely bollox.

[FakeViking]

One of my (many) objections to the eVoting system proposed here is that you could no longer deliberately spoil your vote. There was no 'None of the Above' button that you could indicate that you were exercising your franchise but found none of the offered candidates acceptable!