Observation regarding spoilt votes from the Nice Referendum

[QuestionsQuigley]

Referendum of 19 October 2002
26th Amendment
Treaty of Nice II
This amendment was ACCEPTED
Click for Referendum Details
Full Results
Turnout Spoilt Valid For Against Majority
Constituency Electorate Votes % Votes Share Votes Share Votes Share Votes Share Votes Share
Carlow Kilkenny 94,668 47,192 49.85% 244 0.52% 46,948 49.59% 31,402 66.89% 15,546 33.11% 15,856 33.77%
Cavan Monaghan 86,865 43,860 50.49% 228 0.52% 43,632 50.23% 27,262 62.48% 16,370 37.52% 10,892 24.96%
Clare 77,519 36,472 47.05% 149 0.41% 36,323 46.86% 24,839 68.38% 11,484 31.62% 13,355 36.77%
Cork East 71,175 35,611 50.03% 147 0.41% 35,464 49.83% 21,960 61.92% 13,504 38.08% 8,456 23.84%
Cork North Central 76,671 36,047 47.02% 150 0.42% 35,897 46.82% 19,751 55.02% 16,146 44.98% 3,605 10.04%
Cork North West 52,513 29,056 55.33% 144 0.50% 28,912 55.06% 18,552 64.17% 10,360 35.83% 8,192 28.33%
Cork South Central 88,246 45,922 52.04% 134 0.29% 45,788 51.89% 28,506 62.26% 17,282 37.74% 11,224 24.51%
Cork South West 51,531 27,093 52.58% 156 0.58% 26,937 52.27% 16,694 61.97% 10,243 38.03% 6,451 23.95%
Donegal North East 56,794 22,306 39.28% 104 0.47% 22,202 39.09% 11,647 52.46% 10,555 47.54% 1,092 4.92%
Donegal South West 53,443 22,331 41.78% 82 0.37% 22,249 41.63% 12,227 54.96% 10,022 45.04% 2,205 9.91%
Dublin Central 60,152 28,880 48.01% 115 0.40% 28,765 47.82% 16,460 57.22% 12,305 42.78% 4,155 14.44%
Dublin Mid West 54,337 24,373 44.86% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 24,373 44.86% 14,716 60.38% 9,657 39.62% 5,059 20.76%
Dublin North 70,799 37,371 52.78% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 37,371 52.78% 24,839 66.47% 12,532 33.53% 12,307 32.93%
Dublin North Central 64,599 36,532 56.55% 93 0.25% 36,439 56.41% 22,763 62.47% 13,676 37.53% 9,087 24.94%
Dublin North East 51,198 26,435 51.63% 68 0.26% 26,367 51.50% 15,953 60.50% 10,414 39.50% 5,539 21.01%
Dublin North West 47,043 22,214 47.22% 77 0.35% 22,137 47.06% 11,961 54.03% 10,176 45.97% 1,785 8.06%
Dublin South 90,876 51,229 56.37% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 51,229 56.37% 37,096 72.41% 14,133 27.59% 22,963 44.82%
Dublin South Central 84,372 39,678 47.03% 176 0.44% 39,502 46.82% 21,454 54.31% 18,048 45.69% 3,406 8.62%
Dublin South East 56,839 29,253 51.47% 126 0.43% 29,127 51.24% 19,720 67.70% 9,407 32.30% 10,313 35.41%
Dublin South West 67,215 31,336 46.62% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 31,336 46.62% 17,820 56.87% 13,516 43.13% 4,304 13.74%
Dublin West 51,651 25,659 49.68% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 25,659 49.68% 15,935 62.10% 9,724 37.90% 6,211 24.21%
Dun Laoghaire 88,490 50,070 56.58% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 50,070 56.58% 36,695 73.29% 13,375 26.71% 23,320 46.57%
Galway East 72,283 34,364 47.54% 176 0.51% 34,188 47.30% 22,202 64.94% 11,986 35.06% 10,216 29.88%
Galway West 79,460 35,930 45.22% 135 0.38% 35,795 45.05% 21,649 60.48% 14,146 39.52% 7,503 20.96%
Kerry North 54,137 25,081 46.33% 97 0.39% 24,984 46.15% 13,887 55.58% 11,097 44.42% 2,790 11.17%
Kerry South 49,527 24,829 50.13% 105 0.42% 24,724 49.92% 14,958 60.50% 9,766 39.50% 5,192 21.00%
Kildare North 57,540 29,060 50.50% 112 0.39% 28,948 50.31% 19,868 68.63% 9,080 31.37% 10,788 37.27%
Kildare South 56,147 26,063 46.42% 132 0.51% 25,931 46.18% 17,123 66.03% 8,808 33.97% 8,315 32.07%
Laoighis Offaly 93,648 46,052 49.18% 190 0.41% 45,862 48.97% 30,120 65.68% 15,742 34.32% 14,378 31.35%
Limerick East 79,005 38,981 49.34% 184 0.47% 38,797 49.11% 23,876 61.54% 14,921 38.46% 8,955 23.08%
Limerick West 52,636 26,402 50.16% 120 0.45% 26,282 49.93% 16,581 63.09% 9,701 36.91% 6,880 26.18%
Longford Roscommon 68,485 34,871 50.92% 169 0.48% 34,702 50.67% 21,549 62.10% 13,153 37.90% 8,396 24.19%
Louth 80,663 38,478 47.70% 226 0.59% 38,252 47.42% 22,739 59.45% 15,513 40.55% 7,226 18.89%
Mayo 91,805 42,361 46.14% 204 0.48% 42,157 45.92% 24,647 58.46% 17,510 41.54% 7,137 16.93%
Meath 107,309 50,086 46.67% [color=#FF0000]0 [/color] 0.00% 50,086 46.67% 32,712 65.31% 17,374 34.69% 15,338 30.62%
Sligo Leitrim 67,759 33,418 49.32% 223 0.67% 33,195 48.99% 20,981 63.21% 12,214 36.79% 8,767 26.41%
Tipperary North 57,211 29,368 51.33% 179 0.61% 29,189 51.02% 19,705 67.51% 9,484 32.49% 10,221 35.02%
Tipperary South 54,272 27,929 51.46% 160 0.57% 27,769 51.17% 18,167 65.42% 9,602 34.58% 8,565 30.84%
Waterford 72,772 36,745 50.49% 157 0.43% 36,588 50.28% 23,291 63.66% 13,297 36.34% 9,994 27.31%
Westmeath 52,897 25,619 48.43% 135 0.53% 25,484 48.18% 16,235 63.71% 9,249 36.29% 6,986 27.41%
Wexford 92,603 45,223 48.84% 221 0.49% 45,002 48.60% 28,065 62.36% 16,937 37.64% 11,128 24.73%
Wicklow 86,763 46,798 53.94% 256 0.55% 46,542 53.64% 29,710 63.83% 16,832 36.17% 12,878 27.67%
TOTAL 2,923,918 1,446,578 49.47% 5,374 0.37% 1,441,204 49.29% 906,317 62.89% 534,887 37.11% 371,430 25.77%

©1998-2008 Christopher Took & Seán Donnelly
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Page generated 12-Jun-08 06:50 PM
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Just checked this information concerning the last Nice Referendum. I'm surprised no one has picked up on it before. Several constituencies had no spoilt votes!! Is this is possible? The average seems to be about 0.5% . I would have thought there would have been a few spoilt votes from those constituencies. Is this statistically possible? Where did those spoilt votes go ? It didn't matter because the referendum was passed 63/37, but in a tight race it might matter! (0) Spoilt votes are highlighted in red.

[lostexpectation]

well nice 1 average was around 1.5% so it matches the change of attitude to pass nice 2

[Kev408]

I jokingly asked the guy manning my polling station today how do I abstain. He replied "just rip it up". I pointed out that then it wouldn't be an abstention. He looked completely bemused!

[QuestionsQuigley]

well nice 1 average was around 1.5% so it matches the change of attitude to pass nice 2

Well, that is true there was a big drop from 1.5% spoilt in Nice I to 0.37% spoilt in Nice II. But I'm referring to several constituencies where there were no spoilt votes recorded ie: Meath, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin South and a few others also. Does this not seem a bit strange that not one person spoilt their vote in those constituencies??

[lostexpectation]

I jokingly asked the guy manning my polling station today how do I abstain. He replied "just rip it up". I pointed out that then it wouldn't be an abstention. He looked completely bemused!

i dunno put it in the box with nothing on it, im not really not a big fan of this so called spoiling your vote, by writing something on it, at all.

[StripeyCat]

[ Does this not seem a bit strange that not one person spoilt their vote in those constituencies??

Were there not experiments going on around that time with electronic voting? I can't remember whether they extended to the referendum, but electronic voting machines were certainly used in some elections around that time.

[socialdemocrate]

thats right, it was electronic in meath, i was lving there at the time and i voted electronically, the returning officer for meath is some "character"

[saratoga]

Just checked this information concerning the last Nice Referendum. I'm surprised no one has picked up on it before. Several constituencies had no spoilt votes!! Is this is possible?

Well of course it's possible. That's obvious. It might be considered unlikely, but it is possible. Consider the lower than average turn-out and also consider the fact that there is no-one's name on the ballot beside which one might be tempted to enter some abusive comment.

The average seems to be about 0.5% . I would have thought there would have been a few spoilt votes from those constituencies. Is this statistically possible?

Again, of course it is. Keep in mind that in order for it to be impossible, at least one person has to spoil their vote. Clearly, in some constituencies no-one did. Therefore, it's possible.

Where did those spoilt votes go ?

What spoiled votes? As you highlighted yourself, they didn't exist.

[Seos]

thats right, it was electronic in meath, i was lving there at the time and i voted electronically, the returning officer for meath is some "character"

Yeah that's it:

It was revealed last week [2] that there were 400 "invalid votes"
recorded in the 6 Dublin constituencies that used e-Voting in the 2nd
Nice Referendum, despite official results reporting "0 Spoiled Votes".
ICTE points out that in the absence of voter verifiable audit trail
(VVAT) we do not know really how the machines responded to the putative
votes, and that other more serious problems may be concealed by the
software which is still under revision.

http://lists.stdlib.net/pipermail/e-vot ... 00000.html

^6 dublin constituencies, plus your experience of Meath accounts for all the 0 spoiled votes