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VOTERS SPOILED FEWER ballots in these local and European elections compared to the same races in 2019, even though more people voted overall.
The Electoral Commission has confirmed that its provisional figures show there were 77,464 invalid or spoiled votes in the ballot boxes this time around.
In the same elections in 2019, 108,488 votes were declared invalid.
It marks a reduction of 31,024 spoiled votes, or 29%, despite a higher total turnout.
The Commission’s Head of Electoral Operations Tim Carey has said that previous observations and feedback revealed that “voting may be simple but getting it wrong is easy”.
He said the Commission is “delighted” there were fewer spoiled ballots this time and that “that people whose votes may otherwise not have counted have had their voices heard”.
The Commission had ran an education drive ahead of the elections that sought to inform people about how to correct complete a ballot, including a ‘How to Vote’ website page that was visited 40,000 times.
“However, Commission staff who observed many of the counts reported that the vast majority of votes that were declared invalid on 7 June were clearly cast by people who had wanted their vote to count. So there is more work to do,” Carey said.
In the 2019 local elections, 1.91% of votes cast were deemed spoiled (34,618).
In the 2024 local elections, provisional figures show this dropped to 1.2% spoiled votes (22,468) - a reduction of 12,150 compared to five years ago.
Dublin City saw a reduction of invalid ballots from 3.07% in 2019 to 1.83%.
Wicklow fell from 2.12% to 1.01%, Cork City from 2.35% to 1.35% and Westmeath from 1.90% to 1.04%.
In the 2019 European elections, 4.22% of votes cast were spoiled (73,870).
This fell to 3.06% (54,996) in the 2024 European elections– a reduction of 18,874 from 2019.
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To the author: Could we see what the top 3 reasons are for a vote being deemed as spoiled? I am guessing a reason might arise from what to do if you defo don’t want to vote for a candidate. I think you are supposed to leave the box blank, but some folks might be putting in a X, whereas the other boxes have numbers in.
@Sohoma Roanie: a vote is spoiled when there is no clear indication of a first preference. So placing a mark beside one candidate would be valid, once all other boxes are left blank. Putting ticks against a number of candidates spoils it, as no first preference has been stated. If you put numbers (say 1 to 4) in some boxes and X’s in the other boxes, this would be considered a valid ballot (you’ve stated a clear preference). Writing messages on the ballot spoils it.
@Dave Bruen: There are still many reasons why a vote is deemed spoiled.
Putting two numbers the same against candidates in error is one.
Writing messages of support, or otherwise, is another.
Leaving a ballot paper blank is yet another.
As Sohoma said, it would be nice to know what types of spoiled votes have been encountered.
It would also be useful to the electorate to know why their votes are being rejected as spoiled, when some might not know that.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: agreed, as I said the prime determination (other than writing messages) is that there is no clear indication of a first preference. While spoiled ballots are set aside at the count centre, I don’t believe that they are then further separated into the various ways they are spoiled. Why would it be useful?
@Dave Bruen: Because if there was an announcement after each election of the reasons why ballots were rejected, then that might reduce the number of spoiled ballots in future elections.
Perhaps even publish examples of those spoiled ballots so people can clearly see why they were rejected.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere:
If you’re too thick to read the instructions you shouldn’t be voting anyway. Win, win…
@Regular John: Says the guy that doesn’t understand his own ‘holy book’.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: there are clear instructions at the top of the ballot paper asking voters to mark, 1,2,3 etc. in the box beside the photo of the candidates of their choice. Even at that, ballots that don’t meet these instructions can be recognised as a valid ballot. 1.2% of ballots were spoiled, many deliberately. So we should make additional efforts to educate less than 0.5% of the electorate on how to do it right?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: What are you on about ? I don’t have any “holy book” . I’ve told you numerous times I’m not religious !
Probably votes lost for the Extreme-Right parties who apparently took all of the 0.2% of seats away from SF or FFG!!!! And they still think they have support!!!!! #NoMandate #ZeroPercentSupport
@9QRixo8H: was it that low? I didn’t look at the percentage breakdown. If they couldn’t make inroads now they never will.
@ecrowly: they got 2 seats out of 949 in the locals that is the easiest and they didn’t run more than one candidate in each constituency so as to not split the (non existing) vote! 0.2% of seats.
As for First Preference votes, for ALL three parties combined they got 0.9%.
@9QRixo8H: Thanks for that.
@9QRixo8H: Stop the steal!! lol
@9QRixo8H: But, but, but….THE PEOPLE wanted change…. I did read the conspiracy about the real reason pencils were used…..all makes sense now. Big bad RTE conspired with Santa Claus to prevent the right wing nutjobs getting elected.
@Thesaltyurchin: That’s what she said last night
@Paul O’Mahoney: fair
have your say