Fact checking

Bob Jonkman bjonkman at sobac.com
Wed Apr 28 21:30:29 PDT 2004


This is what Justin <justin-cypherpunks at soze.net> said
about "Re: Fact checking" on 28 Apr 2004 at 19:37

> > Make sure there's a handy "abstain" option for those who want to get
> > the point across about lack of choice, and maybe a space to say why,
> > too. Then stick the (anonymous) reasons up in a publicly-viewable
> > space and eh, instant feedback.
> 
> There is an abstention option.  The poll administrator checks off your
> name when you show up, so someone knows that you "voted."  You don't
> have to choose anyone on your ballot.  You can either toss it in the
> garbage on your way out, or draw pictographs derogatory to politicians
> on non-critical areas of the ballot before feeding it to the
> fiber-starved voting machine.

But then the ballot is spoiled, and not counted.

In Canada we have the option to "decline to vote".  Go to the polling station, register 
your name, take the ballot, then tell the clerk that you "decline to vote".  This 
indicates that you believe that no-one on the ballot is a suitable candidate for 
office.  The ballot is counted, but none of the candidates gets a vote.  

This ensures that you don't accidentally elect an unsuitable candidate with a protest 
vote, ie. selecting the lesser of two evils.  By declining to vote you elect neither of 
the two evils.

I'm not sure what happens when there are more declined ballots than votes for a 
candidate. Certainly it should draw some media attention to the option of declining to 
vote -- I find that very few people know about it.  It sure caused a stir at our 
polling booth!  

-- -- -- --
Bob Jonkman





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