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Spoiled Votes

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  • 26-02-2011 7:17pm
    #1
    Officer Giggles
    Registered Users Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭


    Do you have to do something outrageous to spoil your vote or what counts as a spoiled vote, every constituency always has hundreds, I'm in Dublin south and there was 459, they surely couldn't all be protest votes


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    #2
    johnmcdnl
    Registered Users Posts: 3,739 ✭✭✭johnmcdnl


    if you make a mistake writing in the numbers you spoil your vote - ie giving 2 candidates a no3 vote by accident..

    putting any markings bar the numbers on the card can spoil the vote even if it's just a pencil mark to see is the pencil working...

    most spoilled votes are probably errors rather than a political statement


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    #3
    blubloblu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭blubloblu


    A spoiled vote is a ballot without a clear first preference or with a mark that could identify the voter.

    I think they should publish what they've counted as spoiled votes.


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    #4
    nommm
    Registered Users Posts: 700 ✭✭✭nommm


    I was working at the polling centres yesterday and you'd be shocked by the number of people who didn't seem to know how to vote. I had several people ask me if they just had to put an x in the box of the candidate they wanted vote for. :rolleyes:

    A spoiled vote can be anything from putting the same number down twice, putting an x in a box or the voting card not being stamped properly by the person giving out the voting cards.


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    #5
    Officer Giggles
    Registered Users Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭Officer Giggles


    THey should explain what they regard as spoiled just so people know, I wonder how many votes dustin got


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    #6
    Ian_K
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭Ian_K


    I wrote my number one in the wrong place at first (in an independent candidate's blank where the party logos are) but then scribbled it out and put it in the correct place
    Do you think it would be counted as spoiled or not?


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    #7
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    No, the rule is that it must be examined to see if there is a 'clear' preference ....which there is. A spoiled vote is an unclear preference.

    I remember once seeing a vote counted because the spoiler wrote 'cnut' beside a single candidate and nothing beside any other.


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    #8
    blubloblu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭blubloblu


    nommm wrote: »
    I was working at the polling centres yesterday and you'd be shocked by the number of people who didn't seem to know how to vote. I had several people ask me if they just had to put an x in the box of the candidate they wanted vote for. :rolleyes:

    A spoiled vote can be anything from putting the same number down twice, putting an x in a box or the voting card not being stamped properly by the person giving out the voting cards.
    An x in one box and nothing else counts as a valid vote.


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    #9
    blubloblu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭blubloblu


    Officer Giggles wrote: »
    THey should explain what they regard as spoiled just so people know, I wonder how many votes dustin got
    What's the harm in scanning and publishing all votes considered spoilt? Secrecy shouldn't come into it as I doubt people are paid to spoil their vote.


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