It’s election time:
At least 289 Palm Beach County residents cast blank votes in the March 9 Democratic presidential primary election — even though it was the only race on their ballots.
Overall, fewer than 1 percent of voters who were choosing among presidential candidates submitted blank ballots, according to a South Florida Sun-Sentinel computer-assisted analysis of voting results. The phenomenon, known as undervoting, has happened for decades but now gets extra scrutiny after South Florida’s election problems in 2000 and 2002.
. . .
Broward County voters last week cast blank ballots twice as often as Palm Beach County residents.
The undervote rate was one-quarter of that in 2000, and some of those were absentee ballots. Still, why does the electronic system allow someone to cast an entirely blank ballot? Doesn’t sound like they’re ready for November when inexperienced machine users will flood the polls.
Greetings,
Actually I disagree with this position. It is entirely acceptable to vote for NO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, and it be the only measure on the ballot. Recall that an intentional “no” vote is still a vote.
Neglecting to vote alltogether is the real crime. That and owning the company that sells the voting machines and pledging to “do all it takes to deliver votes to George Bush” That is a serious problem to me….
–jeff-perado
I don’t think the machine should let you hit “vote” unless there is something there to record as a vote.
What’s the difference in casting a “no vote” and simply not voting? In either case, it won’t amount to anything and the people who are registering a preference will decide who wins.