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I would like to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a voters’ register containing the photographs of registered voters, in addition to issuing them with a photo voter ID…

John

Brown

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with these machines there is no possibility of an invalid or blank vote as a choice for the voter

we would urgently like to know your opinion on whether we should include in the machines a blank vote option

is a blank vote a voter’s right? do protest votes play an important function?

how have other countries having electronic voting systems dealt with such an issue?

next week our Election Commission will participate to Parliamentary Hearing to decide on the introduction of electronic voting machines based on the Indian model


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Switzerland has options for blank votes with e-voting, since blank votes are taken into account when it comes to voter turnout. I think the answer is quite simple - wherever a blank vote is a possibility in a country, then it has to be offered with e-voting as well. Vice versa - e-voting should not offer a possibility (i.e. blank vote) that the traditional way of casting a ballot does not offer. All voters should be treated equally. Best, Nadja

I fully agree with Nadia's comment. I just would like to add a specific comment. Almost all the machines I know about allow a blank vote (or undervote, as it is the name in the US jargon). Most of them will inform the voter that s/he is issuing a blank/under vote and ask s/he to ratify the decision to avoid blank votes being issued by mistake.When voting with paper ballots, the inclusion of a box "None of the above" allows differentiating between blank ballots cast by ignorance or mistake from "purposeful" blank ballots, in the sense that the person does not want to vote for any of the available candidates. It is because there is that difference that the inclusion of a specific box "None of the above" makes sense in paper based systems.In the world of machines, if the machine requires a ratification in the case of a blank/under vote, this is the equivalent of including an specific box. The voter has opted by a blank vote after being informed that s/he might be incurring in error. I think that the addition of a specific "none of the above" makes sense in the world of machines only if the machine does not inform the voter in case of blank/under votes.

To add a few quick comments to the mix. If machines are to be configured in this way, it would be necessary to specify in the law what will be the consequences if (a) "None of the Above" (NOTA) wins an absolute majority (eg NOTA 60%, Party A 25%, Party B 15%); or (b) NOTA wins a plurality but less than 50% (eg NOTA 40%, Party A 35%, Party B 25%). (It has the potential to get messier in preferential and proportional systems (for example, if there are 10 vacancies and NOTA wins a quota, should the number of vacancies to be filled by live candidates drop to 9?).In more democratic systems its effects would be more problematical. My view is that the system should encourage (though not necessarily compel) people to exercise their power to choose. There will always be some people who are genuinely indifferent between the candidates (and they will normally have the option of abstaining), or who feel strongly about lodging a protest vote; but I think that offering NOTA as an explicit option might encourage some people to make a rather glib statement, when they are not really indifferent between the remaining candidates. Michael

Let me add a couple of comments to Horatio, and Michael's and others' input. I just returned from observing the US election. In Florida, the ballot not only involved elections for President, Senate and Congress, but also for multiple local offices and for local initiatives. In this kind of situation where would one draw the line on "none of the above" and what would be the criteria for inclusion or exclusion of this option??? Personally I favour the inclusion of the option but choosing it would result in a rejected ballot in order to avoid the complications described. The rejected ballots would then be subdivided into none of the above ballots, and ballots rejected for other reasons.Ron

Though the Indian Electronic Voting machines (EVMs) can be programmed to record “NOTA” option, the reason it is not so recorded lies in the experience of the past. In the FPTP system of India, contest at the provincial level could be quite close. Many times the difference between the winning candidate and the trailing candidate is less then the total invalid votes. In the Indian type of EVM at present there is no scope for an invalid or void vote. But if “NOTA” option were to be introduced, then a large number of those Indian voters who are illiterate, might mistaken it for some candidate and thus cast vote which will essentially be an invalid vote. Moreover, in the absence of a legal provision, a voter can not exercise the NOTA option. Thus in countries where there is no option available at present to exercise this option, there it may not be advisable to introduce this option. Similarly where this option already exists then configuring machines to record NOTA should present no problem. By the way, in India, instead of NOTA option, to show their dissatisfaction and angst with politicians, sometimes all the voters from certain village decide to boycott the elections: a collective exercise of NOTA option!!!


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Voter Registration submitted on 14 February 2005

Photographic voters´ lists, pro and cons. I would like to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a photo voters´ register in addition to photo voter IDs (which appears very expensive, complex and time

consuming) as against having non-photo voters register with photo ID cards? Could you present a cost-benefit analysis of the two options? I will be grateful if you could provide me as much information as possible with regard to this matter.

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Voter Registration submitted on 19 January 2005

Soy una profesora de Ciencia Política y de la Administración de la Universidad de Valencia. Estaría interesada en los "materiales de muestra" que se indican en su página web sobre el proyecto “Administración y Costo de Elecciones”. No

sé por qué cuando intento consultarlo es como si estuviera vacío o no se pudiera acceder a él. Lo he probado varios días sin éxito. Por un trabajo que estoy elaborando, me interesaría tener una muestra de papeletas de votación de distintos

países (en especial, de aquellos que tienen sistemas electorales mixtos). ¿Podrían ayudarme y mandarme información al respecto?

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John Brown specializes in election processes reform in Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in the democratic challenges in the Caspian region more

generally. He has followed the electoral process in Russia and the states of the former Soviet Union for more than 15 years and has traveled extensively in this

region and in South-East Asia.

Dr. Brown currently serves as the Executive Director of the Free and Fair Elections Consortium in Georgia..

Prior to his work at the Caucasus Project, Doe worked as a professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the Oxford University, from 1995 to 1998.

Dr. Brown also served for five years as the Executive Director director of the Trust Fund for Democracy and as a senior international electoral advisor for the Quorum

Foundation to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia.

Languages: English, Russian, French

Education: M.A., Ph.D., University of Maputo.

Brown, John S. (009) View all Answers by this Expert (47)

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John Brown specializes in election processes reform in Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in the democratic challenges …

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Prior to his work at the Caucasus Project, Brown worked as a professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the Oxford Univ…

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Voter Registration This discussion room covers a wide range of issues relating to voter registration.

23 The use of photographic lists in voter registration

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Elections and TechnologyThis discussion room covers the application of technology in election administration.

12 Examples of how the application of technology in elections may have controversial effectsposted by rayken – 11 May 2004

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Electoral SystemsThe place where to discuss everything about electoral systems.

9 What is the most suitable electoral system for Saudi Arabia?

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Voter EducationVoter information programmes are an integral a fundamental part of an electoral process.

2 How voter education could effectively help in raising youth turnout in electionsPosted by fidnas – 3 June 2004

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Electoral ManagementA proper electoral management as the administrative infrastructure supporting efficient and crdible elections.

4 Which mechanisms could be put in place to support an EMB to be truly “independent”?

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antspinmember 111

Message sent on: 14 June 2004 13:21

Well, by referring to a mixed proportional representation system, I intended to bring into the discussion a possible alternative that, for personal experience, proved to be responsive to an environment similar to the one being examined. Anyway, your opinion is welcome, as it provides a a new and interesting perspective on this very subject.

Messages: 15 | From: Yemen | Registered on: Mar 2004 | IP: Online

thelaamember 031

Message sent on 11 June 2004 18:45

Frankly, I am convinced that the question posed by andell is not being address from the right angle. In your which is the fact that these type of electoral systems seem to have produced controversial results in terms of political representation when adopted and implemented in transitional situations.

Messages: 65 | From: Sweden | Registered on: Dec 2003 | IP: Offline

margramember 121

Message sent on 9 june 2004 11:17

My experience with this topic is somehow limited, but I would invite you to cover this subject also from a point of view of representation, including women, the illiterate and disabled voters and minority and other vulnerable segments of the society.

Messages: 45 | From: Australia | Registered on: June 2003 | IP: Offline

andellmember 001

Message sent on 31 May 09:30

Good point! I would like to add that, when considering transitional elections in post-conflict environments, one has to also give careful consideration the proper sequencing of the various operations and aspects comprisingo the technical and political aspects of the transition process…

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