Undervote
An undervote occurs when the number of distinct choices selected by a voter in a contest is less than the maximum number allowed for a contest or when no selection is made for a particular election.[1] Undervotes can be intentional or unintentional.[2]
An undervote can be intentional for purposes including
tactical voting, or abstention. In a contested election, an undervote can be construed as active voter disaffection: a voter engaged enough to cast a vote without the willingness to give the vote to any candidate.[2] Undervotes can also occur if a voter casting a ballot does not make choices in all available contests. An example is if, during a presidential election, a voter chooses a presidential candidate but does not select a candidate for a concurrently running election for county commissioner.[3]
Alternately, undervotes can be unintentional and caused by many factors including poor
ballot design. Undervotes caused by voting for a single candidate in multiple positions is usually caused by a voter's misunderstanding of the mechanics of the preference ballot.[4][2]
Undervotes combined with
voter intent.[4]
References
- ^ "2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines". Election Assistance Commission. p. A-18. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ a b c "WNT: Explaining the Undervotes". ABC News. 30 November 2000. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020.
- ^ Bump, Philip (14 December 2016). "1.7 million people in 33 states and DC cast a ballot without voting in the presidential race". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 December 2016.
- ^ MIT Voting Technology Project. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
External links
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