Spoiled votes: Who are the biggest eejits in the country?

Mizu_Ger

The Lisbon Treaty: Everyone's talking about who voted, who didn't. Did they vote yes or did they vote no, but what about the eejits that did vote, but managed to spoilt it?

So far it looks like Tipperary South managed to spoil the biggest percentage (as far as I can tell from the numbers). Who will take the crown at the end of the day?

GhostInTheRuins

I have more respect for the people that spoiled their vote than I do for the 50% of the population that didn't vote at all.

zuutroy

Another thread...in AH...why?

mkdon05

it takes a special kind of person to spoil a yes/no vote!!

stovelid

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

I have more respect for the people that spoiled their vote than I do for the 50% of the population that didn't vote at all.

Yup. At least they showed up and may have spoiled it intentionally.

Anybody who just doesn't show up shouldn't be allowed to vote.

smellslikeshoes

mkdon05 wrote: »

it takes a special kind of person to spoil a yes/no vote!!

Yea thats what I was thinking, I dunno the exact criteria but maybe marking it with something other than an X, other than that you would have to be a right eejit.

Kold

I'm hoping they spoiled them in artistic and hilarious ways. Drew a cock through both the boxes? Added a maybe box?

Sherifu

The numbers of spoiled votes are fairly low. I'd be more interested in how many spoiled on purpose but we won't know.

LadyE

How do you spoil a vote? Make it eligible?

gogglebok

I think we can assume that most of the spoiled votes were spoiled intentionally as a protest. I'm sure there will be several vivid messages for the tally-men to take back to their parties.

Reku

Well would spoiled votes not still count towards the minimum required turnout?

whiskeyman

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Yea thats what I was thinking, I dunno the exact criteria but maybe marking it with something other than an X, other than that you would have to be a right eejit.

In fairness, I'd imagine a lot of people put a 'tick' in the box.


I'm pretty sure this is actually a spoilt vote? Anyone confirm this?


Of course, spolit votes would be a thing of the past if we had E-voting machines :pac:

smellslikeshoes

gogglebok wrote: »

I think we can assume that most of the spoiled votes were spoiled intentionally as a protest. I'm sure there will be several vivid messages for the tally-men to take back to their parties.

Yea would think so, my father did this for every election for 20 years. I understand why and all but personally if I was going to spoil a vote intentionally I'd rather stay in bed or some other activity that involved the same amount of work than making the effort to go down to the polling station.

Reku

whiskeyman wrote: »

In fairness, I'd imagine a lot of people put a 'tick' in the box.

Actually, come to think of it I think I did!:o
Ah well, one less yes vote. lol

daisy123

whiskeyman wrote: »

In fairness, I'd imagine a lot of people put a 'tick' in the box.


I'm pretty sure this is actually a spoilt vote? Anyone confirm this?


Of course, spolit votes would be a thing of the past if we had E-voting machines :pac:

I'm pretty sure my voting slip just said to mark the box, didn't say whether it had to be an X or anything.

skywalker

whiskeyman wrote: »

Of course, spolit votes would be a thing of the past if we had E-voting machines :pac:

You say that like we should consider it a good thing?

whiskeyman

daisy123 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure my voting slip just said to mark the box, didn't say whether it had to be an X or anything.

Pretty sure mine had 'place an X'...
Not sure if any 'mark' will do.

Just thought I heard it a few referendums ago.
Will try and find out.

stovelid

daisy123 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure my voting slip just said to mark the box, didn't say whether it had to be an X or anything.

Tells you to mark an X.

whiskeyman

stovelid wrote: »

Tells you to mark an X.

Yup, deffo says 'X', but it must just be the accepted guideline

http://acts.oireachtas.ie/framed/1994.act.012.03.frameset.html

referendum act 1994 wrote:

Invalid ballot papers. 34. —(1) A ballot paper—

( a ) which does not bear the official mark, or

( b ) on which the mark "x" or any other mark which, in the opinion of the local returning officer, clearly indicates a vote, is not placed at all or is not so placed as to indicate a vote in favour of or a vote against the proposal which is the subject of the referendum, or

I think pre 1994 this really wasn't defined so?
I remember this caused issues before in elections in the past.

stovelid

Is is actually true that a tick would invalidate your vote?

edit: thanks whiskey

godtabh

stovelid wrote: »

Anybody who just doesn't show up shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Its every ones right to vote or not to vote

Pitseleh

It's fair enough for people to deliberately spoil their vote if they don't have a particular opinion either way and don't want to be simply be regarded in the statistics as completely apathetic.

humanji

If they're not going to turn up to vote, it won't make a difference to them

FruitLover

stovelid wrote: »

Anybody who just doesn't show up shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Anybody who thinks something as nonsensical as this clearly isn't capable of thinking rationally, and therefore shouldn't be allowed to vote.

I've heard about people voting 'No' because they thought voting 'Yes' meant you couldn't have more than two children, or because they didn't want their son fighting in the 'European Army'. So I'd certainly prefer if people either spoilt their vote or didn't turn up to vote if they weren't sure about what they were voting for. But I've yet to year a real argument for spoiling vs just not turning up.

stovelid

FruitLover wrote: »

Anybody who thinks something as nonsensical as this clearly isn't capable of thinking rationally, and therefore shouldn't be allowed to vote.
I've heard about people voting 'No' because they thought voting 'Yes' meant you couldn't have more than two children, or because they didn't want their son fighting in the 'European Army'. So I'd certainly prefer if people either spoilt their vote or didn't turn up to vote if they weren't sure about what they were voting for. But I've yet to year a real argument for spoiling vs just not turning up.

My comment on withdrawing voting rights was slightly tongue-in-cheek as I was smarting about the low turnout. Effective suffrage is a right denied to a large number of people, and I can't accept that somebody would just stay at home because they don't understand something properly. It's up to people to find out about the options.

I think you're also being pretty charitable in saying that 55% of the population stayed at home last night purely because they didn't understand the issues. If that's the case, clearly they also haven't understood every other referendum, local and general election that has ever been held in this country.

I wouldn't spoil my vote in a referendum; however, it's valid in elections if you don't want to endorse any of the candidates but still cherish your right to vote.

That said, I'd still rather somebody spoil a referendum vote than just simply not turning up.

stovelid

humanji wrote: »

If they're not going to turn up to vote, it won't make a difference to them

AlmightyCushion

Oh it's spoil your vote. I thought it was soil your vote. That explains the weird looks.

mkdon05

You can mark the yes or no box with anything you like and it will be valid, yes you could even draw a little cock with some tiny balls!!!
VALID :D:D

cronndiesel

whiskeyman wrote: »

Of course, spolit votes would be a thing of the past if we had E-voting machines :pac:

shir every vote is a spoilt vote on them yokes -voting through a middle man:rolleyes: (machine)

stovelid

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Oh it's spoil your vote. I thought it was soil your vote. That explains the weird looks.

mkdon05 wrote: »

You can mark the yes or no box with anything you like and it will be valid, yes you could even draw a little cock with some tiny balls!!!
VALID :D:D

Did you?

litup

LadyE wrote: »

How do you spoil a vote? Make it eligible?

What, like get it a better job, buy it nice clothes and give it a decent haircut?

LadyE

litup wrote: »

What, like get it a better job, buy it nice clothes and give it a decent haircut?

Feckin smartarse..you know what I meant

Wishbone Ash

mkdon05 wrote: »

it takes a special kind of person to spoil a yes/no vote!!

My mother counted ballot papers for many years. She said that, particularly in the 1970s/1980s, many spoiled votes had political slogans written on them usually connected with Northern Ireland.

"Smash H Block" "No surrender" etc.

"None of the above" was another popular one.

KnifeWRENCH

I don't understand people who go down to their local polling station, just to spoil their vote.
You can write as many political slogans as you want, it's not like Brian Cowen's gonna read them and be deeply offended.

Voting is a right, not an obligation (although I do think responsible citizens should vote) Why bother going to the effort of spoiling your vote? It'd be easier to just stay at home.

Irish Halo

kearnsr wrote: »

Its every ones right to vote or not to vote

Voting is a responsibility or privilege in my opinion, Australia have it right "Vote or die"*










* = the second option may not be die it could be "be fined"

Victor

% Invalid
Donegal North-East 0.56%
Dublin Mid-West 0.23%

% Turnout
Donegal North-East 45.65%
Dublin North-Central 61.08%

% No
Dun Laoghaire 36.44%
Dublin South-West 64.83%

Thomas_S_Hunterson

It's our right to spoil our vote if we so wish.

beautiation

Sean_K wrote: »

It's our right to spoil our vote if we so wish.

What if they had a referendum to take it away? Would all the people passioante about keeping it be able to resist spoiling their vote?

davyjose

Atari Jaguar FTW

I was in the counting centres a few times.

You get a few ballot papers from the likes of Republican Sinn Fein supporters who spoil their ballot on purpose by drawing their logo or writing a republican slogan.
They don't recognise the Dail as legitimate.

Other people write Xs insted of numbers or vica versa at referendums. Others are blank or have drawings on them! Sometimes they arn't stamped by the officials.

eldeabroad

davyjose wrote: »

Atari Jaguar FTW

+1

was there no atari jaguar option on the ballot papers? :eek:

FruitLover

stovelid wrote: »

I think you're also being pretty charitable in saying that 55% of the population stayed at home last night purely because they didn't understand the issues.

Well, there's always going to be a certain percentage who just can't be arsed, but we're better off without their vote then.

RonMexico

I was told today that a bunch of No voters in Moyross in Limerick put an x in the no box and then wrote "Go **** yerselves" across the ballot :pac: