Spoiled ballot papers are one of the highlights of counting votes.
Any ballot paper which is not clearly marked for a candidate is usually shown to the scrutineers who are sat opposite the counters. This used to be alternately labour and tory but presumably now the lib dems get a look in.
After some argument either a decision is made that there is an indistinct mark that is nevertheless clearly for a candidate, or it is referred on.
You quite often find people writing comments, frequently abusive. You then get into the argument of whether a ballot on which the only mark is an abusive comment against a candidate's name is nevertheless, validly cast for that candidate. To which the usual answer is 'nice try'.
Equally if someone ticks one candidate and places a cross against another, which (if any) candidate should they have been considered to have voted for?
So if people don't want to vote for any of the candidates, a reasoned exposition of why not will get counted as spoiled, and get read by representatives of all parties, frequently several times as very dubious (and the interesting ones) cases get passed to the candidates for a final, joint, decision. However, brevity, succinctness and wit are appreciated by all concerned.
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Paul Bivand
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ruth Balogh [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 26 April 2005 09:17
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: counting voters[Scanned]
>
>
> Dear colleagues
>
> A number of people have recently told me they intend to spoil their
> ballot papers in the General Election as they feel they are offered
> no real choice in their particular constituency, but nevertheless
> wish to take part as a voter.
> My question is this: do spoiled papers count in the official "voter
> turnout" figures?
>
> My memory tells me that only some Returning Officers bother to
> announce the number, and when the figures are published in the press,
> spoiled papers are generally not included.
>
> Ruth Balogh
>
> Director
> Centre for Health Research & Practice Development
> St Martin's College
> Carlisle CA1 2HH
>
> +44 1228 616360
>
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