What will happen if a majority votes blank in a presidential election?

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   maxoxam41posted 10 years ago

   I am not saying that none of the candidates gathered the 207 electorate votes. I am just stating that a majority of the US citizens vote blank. Will the majority rule?

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      junkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The majority of the minority wins?

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         maxoxam41posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Are you telling me that it won't matter if the majority of the people voted blank and only the majority elected from both parties will be the winner? Are you expressing an assertion or a doubt? Through this I am wondering if the people can finally get rid of both parties by opposing a majority?

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            mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            A blank ballot, in terms of election law and regulation, is not countable. A blank ballot is null and void.
            
            Do you really think that the way to undermine the Democrats and Republicans is to throw away the right to vote? To cast a blank ballot?
            
            How does throwing your vote away get rid of political parties you don't like?

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               Diego Morenoposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               In other countries is not "trowing away you right"; in fact doesn't seem much like a right to vote if you must vote only for predefined candidate. In my country (which is not example of democracy and well organized society at all, but at least this particular makes sense) if the mayority of the people gives a blank vote none of the candidates will be allowed to become president, a new election must be done and diferent candidates formulated. Do bare in mind that there is a special space to vote blank and is counted separatedly from null votes.

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   2. 57

      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Presidents are not chosen by popular vote.  Not voting is not a null vote or a vote for "none of the above."  It is simply a non-vote.  There have been elections in which a minority of those eligible to vote cast their votes.  It is not unusual for less than 50% of the population over 18 to cast a ballot.
      
      If one person per state voted for the same candidate for President that person would be President of the United States and appropriately so since everyone else decided to abdicate their responsibility to exercise the franchise they own.  If you want an end to the current political parties than I would suggest finding as many like minded people as possible and start a movement within one of the two long established parties.

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      1. 64

         maxoxam41posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         But they are elected by popular vote. Not directly.
         Wikipedia says :"If protest vote takes the form of a blank vote, it may or may not be tallied into final results depending on the rules. Thus, it may either result in a spoilt vote (which is the case most of the times) or, if the electoral system accepts to take it into account, as a "None of the Above" vote."
         It may become a "None of the above".
         Again, if a majority (I mean by that, that the total ballots counted would represent half of the voting-eligible population like in 2012) become "none of the above", what would become of the election?
         Starting a movement within one of the two long established parties would mean that one of them is independent, and we both know that they are both corrupt.

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            HowardBThinameposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Something similar happened on a local level where I live about 15 years ago. They just threw out the blank votes and tallied the others.
            
            Now, if the electorates refused to vote - that might be an interesting turn of events.

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         mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Exactly.
         
         It is obvious that formation of new parties---parties with political clout, is a very real possibility in the present.
         
         Example: The Tea Party Movement.

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            retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            The Republican Party, itself, arose from the ashes of the Whigs.

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               mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Exactly and the modern Democratic Party emerged from the remains of various factions of the old Democratic-Republican Party that had, for all intents and purposes, collapsed with the election of Andrew Jackson.
               
               Interestingly enough, the Democratic Party was a remnant of the Jeffersonian Republican Party (or simply the Republican Party) that had opposed the old Federalist Party.
               
               Interesting stuff to be sure.
               
               But, the idea that we change politics by abandoning our civic duty to vote is nonsensical.

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                  retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Agreed

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      mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Blank ballots are discarded as they should be.
      
      Elections are not about mindless grandstanding. If you don't like the current parties---national, state, or local, then organize a new party and work to sell your party to the electorate.
      
      American political history is NOT the history of the Democratic and/or Republican parties in their current iterations.
      
      American political history is a history of diversity of parties; of evolution of parties; of parties---including those with significant political and electoral power, coming and going.

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         retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

         exactly so!

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      rhamsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you vote a blank ballot, they win. They win either way. Unfortunately change does not just happen. There has to be an atmosphere of openness and accessibility for any change to take place. The two party system we now have has a stranglehold on any new things that can take place. If you want to effect any change we need to change the rules they have perverted and make government service the priority and not the vehicle to individual gain.
      
      Term Limits, Publicly Financed Campaigns and Lobby Reform is the only way to effect any change. Take the greed out of the equation and you will get change.

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   mbuggiehposted 10 years ago

   Wikipedia...really?
   
   Read some US election law. It varies state to state; sometimes county to county or election district to election district.

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      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      again, exactly so!

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