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Arefused ballot, or similar alternative, is a choice available to voters in manyelections. This is an alternative for many people to casting a disparagingspoiled ballot, which is not counted separately from ballots which have been accidentally spoiled.
Some provinces allow a ballot to be refused on the grounds that no party satisfies the elector's vote.[1][2] Declined ballots are only legislated in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta; the option is only available for provincial elections.[3]
During the2000 Canadian federal election, a number of voters (chiefly inEdmonton, Alberta) ate their ballots, as part of what they dubbed theEdible Ballot Society, to protest what they saw as inherently unfair elections. The stunt ledElections Canada to propose that there be legislation allowing federal ballots to be officially refused.[4]
Russian electoral ballots used to contain a box namedAgainst All, allowing the voter to register a "protest vote" against all the candidates running. This was abolished by theDuma in 2006.[5]
A March 2004 opinion poll saw ruling PresidentVladimir Putin draw 70% support from Russians, but "Against All" managed to claim the second place, ahead of the other candidates.[6]
In December 2004, "Against All" actually managed to draw the highest number of votes in the electoral districts ofSt. Petersburg,Sverdlovsk andUlyanovsk. A repeat election led to St. Petersburg and Sverdlovsk electing properMembers of Parliament. Ulyanovsk's second vote however, after two candidates dropped out of the race, actually saw "Against All" gainmore support in the polls, now pulling in 21.5% of the vote, nearly double what any of the actual candidates received.[7]