Accidental spoiled vote?

Miss Informed

Hi guys!

I'm Galway West, and we had 20 candidates here. After coming out of the polling station, my mum realised that she made a mistake while filling the form out to the end, she must have doubled up a number somewhere, because after filling in the whole sheet, her last number was 19 :rolleyes:

Does that spoil the vote? Say she voted for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc and accidentaly put in two number 12s or something, (which is what must have happened, because she had her first five well planned out) would the numbers up to the doubled one count or would the whole thing be rendered spoiled?

JohnnyChimpo

It'll be grand

Greenmachine

You/ Your mom does know you don't have to rate every candidate in order of preference in fact If you really only like 1 candidate you can just put 1 next to that candidates name.
After 5th or 6th preference if not earlier your preference become less and less redundant.
It becomes a race to the bottom, who want to vote like that. My understanding is that it will have only become a spoiled vote if she had a duplicate number.

Westernyelp

I'd say they will count the votes down to the duplicate number; which is probably going yo be irrelevant anyway. It will be up to the officer in charge

Ezra Wibberley

Greenmachine wrote:

After 5th or 6th preference if not earlier your preference become less and less redundant

Surely you mean more and more redundant, or less and less important?

Don't worry OP, your mother's vote will count fine for the first few numbers

earlyevening

If there are two number 12s, I think they will accept the first 11 preferences and not allowed it to transfer further. There's some room for manoeuvre. All down to the returning officer and election agents who will have a meeting to discuss the spoiled votes.

evolving_doors

Greenmachine wrote: »

You/ Your mom does know you don't have to rate every candidate in order of preference in fact If you really only like 1 candidate you can just put 1 next to that candidates name.
After 5th or 6th preference if not earlier your preference become less and less redundant.
It becomes a race to the bottom, who want to vote like that. My understanding is that it will have only become a spoiled vote if she had a duplicate number.

Presume you meant 'more and more' redundant!

But anyhow i think that as the votes are transferred then maybe consider it like comparing someone (person A) who voted as far as no. 10 but the OP's mom voted to no. 11.
Then by transfers (if it applies!), wouldnt the no. 11 (OP's Ma) candidate have more to gain than the no. 11 candidate who got no vote from the person A who stopped at 10?
This is what I was taught anyway.. if you want to keep someone out then vote for everyone else down the list (and hope all other like minded voters do the same!).

Greenmachine

Ezra Wibberley wrote: »

Surely you mean more and more redundant, or less and less important?

Don't worry OP, your mother's vote will count fine for the first few numbers

That's what i meant alright.

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Presume you meant 'more and more' redundant!

But anyhow i think that as the votes are transferred then maybe consider it like comparing someone (person A) who voted as far as no. 10 but the OP's mom voted to no. 11.
Then by transfers (if it applies!), wouldnt the no. 11 (OP's Ma) candidate have more to gain than the no. 11 candidate who got no vote from the person A who stopped at 10?
This is what I was taught anyway.. if you want to keep someone out then vote for everyone else down the list (and hope all other like minded voters do the same!).

Same as above :P, no idea on the transferable vote point. Whatever the case. The validity or otherwise of it can't be changed now. I am no wiser on the operational guidelines for determining what is a spoiled vote or otherwise.