A Protest vote is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate the caster's unhappiness with the choice of candidates or refusal of the current political system. It can thus be said "conjectural," as the voter would accept others candidates in the same system, or "structural," if the voter is opposed to the whole system — usually representative democracy, but it may also signify opposition to a two-party system where "third options" are always rejected. In this latter case, protest vote may take the form of a legal vote, but instead of voting for the mainstream candidates, it is a vote in favor of a minority or fringe candidate, either from the far-left, far-right or self-presenting as a candidate foreign to the political system (a gesture which might be interpreted by political analysts as a form of populism, as it is an appeal to the "people" against the "establishment"). Voting is a method of decision making where in a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ... A voting system is a means of choosing between a number of options, based on the input of a number of voters. ... For the town in France, see Ballots, Mayenne. ... There exist various methods through which the ballots cast at an election may be counted, prior to applying a voting system to obtain one or more winners. ... On an approval ballot, the voter can vote for any number of candidates. ... Bloc voting (or block voting) (also called Plurality-at-large) refers to a class of voting systems which can be used to elect several representatives from a single constituency. ... The Borda count is a single winner election method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. ... Any election method conforming to the Condorcet criterion is known as a Condorcet method. ... The Coombs method, created by Clyde Coombs, is a voting system used for single-winner elections in which each voter rank-orders the candidates. ... Copelands method is a Condorcet method in which the winner is determined by finding the candidate with the most pairwise victories. ... A points method ballot design like this one is the most common for governmental elections using cumulative voting. ... The DHondt method (equivalent to Jeffersons method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... The Droop quota is the quota most commonly used in elections held under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. ... Dynamically Distributed Democracy (DDD) uses a social network data structure as a means of a creating a holographic model of the voting behavior of the whole group within any subset of the population that is actively participating in the groups voting process. ... In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ... The Hare quota is a formula used to calculate the minimum number, or quota, of votes required to capture a seat in some forms of single transferable vote or largest remainder method party-list proportional representation voting systems. ... The highest averages method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. ... Example ballot Instant runoff voting (IRV) is a voting system used for single winner elections in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. ... The Kemeny-Young method is a voting system that uses preferential ballots, a tally table, and sequence scores to identify the most popular choice, and also identify the second-most popular choice, the third-most popular choice, and so on down to the least-popular choice. ... The largest remainder method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. ... Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems used in multiple-winner elections (e. ... An example of a plurality ballot. ... Preferential voting (or preference voting) is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank a list or group of candidates in order of preference. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Range voting (also called ratings summation, average voting, cardinal ratings, 0–99 voting, or the score system or point system) is a voting system for one-seat elections under which voters score each candidate, the scores are added up, and the candidate with the highest score wins. ... It has been suggested that Maximize Affirmed Majorities be merged into this article or section. ... The Sainte-Laguë method of the highest average (sometimes identified with Websters method or divisor method with standard rounding) is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. ... The Schulze method is a voting system developed in 1997 by Markus Schulze that selects a single winner using votes that express preferences. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ... In voting, a ballot paper is considered to be spoilt, void, or null if it is regarded by the election authorities to contain irregularities during vote counting, and hence cannot be recorded as a valid vote. ... Voting is a method of decision making wherein a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ... An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... Representative democracy is a form of democracy founded on the exercise of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate the voting in nearly all elections. ... The term far left refers to the relative position a person or group occupies within the left-right political spectrum. ... Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... This is a list of notable political scientists. ... The Establishment is a slang term (chiefly in British and Commonwealth English) for a traditional conservative ruling class and its institutions. ...

Along with abstention, which is simply the act of not voting, or of refusing to vote, it is often considered to be a clear sign of the lack of popular legitimacy and roots of representative democracy, as not voting endangers the credibility of the whole voting system. If protest vote takes the form of a blank vote, it may or not be tallied into final results. 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. Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not goes to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, isnt absent during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. ... A voting system is a means of choosing between a number of options, based on the input of a number of voters. ... In voting, a ballot paper is considered to be spoilt, void, or null if it is regarded by the election authorities to contain irregularities during vote counting, and hence cannot be recorded as a valid vote. ... None of the Above (NOTA) is a ballot choice in some jurisdictions or organizations, placed so as to allow the voter to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. ...

Several possible protest votes

Protest vote can be formulated in several ways:

• Voting for a minority or fringe candidate which has no chance of getting elected under standard situation (see below).
• Posting a blank ballot paper, without marking a choice.
• Spoiling the ballot paper.
• Selecting a "None of the Above", or "Blank vote" option, if one exists.

However, some jurisdictions may give different interpretations to each of the methods mentioned above. None of the Above (NOTA) is a ballot choice in some jurisdictions or organizations, placed so as to allow the voter to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. ...

Sometimes, a person may use even more uncommon, often illegal, methods to show the displeasure. Example include ripping the ballot apart, asking other people to vote for them, selling the vote (for example, putting his vote on auction sites), or even eating the ballot.

Protest vote and abstention

Main article: Abstention

Abstention may be considered as a form of protest vote, when it is not assimilable to simple apathy or indifference towards politics in general. Henceforth, the anarchist movement which has since its origins rejected representative democracy in favor of a more direct form of government, traditionnally calls for abstention in an active and protest gesture. In states where voting is compulsory, abstention may be seen as an act of civil disobedience. Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not goes to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, isnt absent during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. ... Apathy is a psychological term for a state of indifference — where an individual is unresponsive or indifferent to aspects of emotional, social, or physical life. ... Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of hierarchy and imposed authority. ... Representative democracy is a form of democracy founded on the exercise of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Anti-war activist Midge Potts is arrested for civil disobedience on the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States on February 9, 2005. ...

Voting for fringe candidates

But "protest vote" also refers, in a more derogatory manner, to specific demographic categories, classifying populations according to the frequency and nature of their vote. Thus, in the US, middle-income families vote more often than working classes' or ghettoised populations. After the 2002 French presidential election, in which far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen arrived second behind conservative candidate Jacques Chirac, many analysts put the blame of the surprising result on working class, accused of engaging themselves in "protest vote," that is in support of fringe candidates belonging to the far-left or the far-right, or even to people who present themselves as alien to the political world (in France, environmentalist René Dumont in 1974, comedian Coluche in 1981 — but he withdrew his candidacy before the elections — environmentalist Pierre Rabhi who unsuccessfully tried to present himself in 2002, as well as TV showman Nicolas Hulot who almost presented himself for 2007, before putting aside his idea, thus leaving electoral space for José Bové, a figure of the alterglobalization movement who recently decided to present himself as an independent candidate). This kind of protest vote, where the vote is taken into account but accused of being "useless," is often considered by political analysts to be either a form of populism or, worst, of poujadism. For example, French voters are encouraged by the establishment to make a "useful" vote in the 2007 presidential election, i.e. in voting either for Nicolas Sarkozy, representative of the UMP conservative party, or for Ségolène Royal, representative of the PS social-democrat party, and not for others candidates which allegedly have no chances of arriving in the second turn of the elections. angp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvu8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates (Jacques Chirac and Jean-Marie Le Pen) on 5 May 2002. ... Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer France) is a French far-right nationalist politician, founder and president of the Front National (National Front) party, and a candidate for the French presidency. ... Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932) has served as the Gaullist President of France since he was first elected in 1995. ... The term far left refers to the relative position a person or group occupies within the left-right political spectrum. ... René Dumont (March 13, 1904 - June 18, 2001) was a French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician. ... Second Round First Round See also President of France France Politics of France Categories: | | ... Michel Colucci (October 28, 1944 - June 19, 1986), better known as Coluche, was a famous French comedian who went the extra mile to rock the establishment. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Nicolas Hulot was born on April 30, 1955 in Lille. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alter-globalization (or altermondialization from the French altermondialisation) is the name of a social movement which supports the international integration of globalization but demands that values of democracy, economic justice, environmental protection, and human rights be put ahead of purely economic concerns. ... This is a list of notable political scientists. ... Pierre Poujade (December 1, 1920–August 27, 2003) was a French populist politician after whom the Poujadist movement was named. ... The Establishment is a slang term (chiefly in British and Commonwealth English) for a traditional conservative ruling class and its institutions. ... The official campaign: the posters for the 12 candidates The 2007 French presidential election is being held to elect the successor of incumbent Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term. ... Nicolas Sarkozy in April 2007 Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (born 28 January 1955 in Paris, France), more commonly known as Nicolas Sarkozy ( —  ), is a French politician, and the head of the centre-right party UMP, the French conservative party. ... The Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, UMP), initially named the Union for the Presidential Majority (Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle), is the main French conservative political party. ... Marie-Ségolène Royal (born 22 September 1953 in Dakar, Senegal), known as  , (IPA: ) is a French politician. ... The emblem of the French Socialist Party The Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste or PS), founded in 1969, is the main opposition party in France. ...

Protest vote in various countries

In the United States, cartoon characters are typically used as protest votes; as Mickey Mouse is the most well-known and well-recognized character in the United States, his name is frequently selected for this purpose. (Other popular selections include Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny.) This phenomenon has the humorous effect of causing Mickey Mouse to be a minor but perennial contestor of nearly all recent U.S. presidential elections. Mickey Mouse is an Academy Award-winning comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. ... Donald Duck is an animated cartoon and comic-book character from Walt Disney Productions. ... Bugs Bunny is an Academy Award-winning, street-smart, anthropomorphic, fictional gray hare, despite the name Bunny, who appears in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated films produced by Warner Bros. ... United States presidential elections determine who serves as President and Vice President of the United States for four-year terms, starting on Inauguration Day (January 20th of the year after the election). ...

A similar phenomenon occurs in the parliamentary elections in Finland, although Finns usually write Donald Duck as a protest vote because Donald is more famous in Finland than Mickey. Other characters, both real and fictional, are used as protest votes too. One theory has it that the reason for boxer/politician Tony Halme's popularity in one of the elections was because he was being used as a protest vote. Somewhat ironically, this might mean that protest votes actually got someone elected. The Eduskunta (in Finnish), or the Riksdag (in Swedish), is the Parliament of Finland. ... Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is storytelling of imagined events and stands in contrast to non-fiction, which makes factual claims that can be substantiated with evidence. ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left, throwing a left uppercut) versus Rafael Ortíz Boxing, also called pugilism (from Latin), prizefighting (when referring to professional boxing) or the sweet science[1] is a sport and martial art in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Tony Halme Tony Christian Halme (born January 6, 1963) is a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. ...

See also

• This entry is related to, but not included in the elections and voting series. Other related articles can be found at the Politics Portal.
• Abstention
• List of democracy and elections-related topics
• None of the above (when blank ballots are recognized)

An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... Voting is a method of decision making where in a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ... Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not goes to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, isnt absent during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. ... None of the Above (NOTA) is a ballot choice in some jurisdictions or organizations, placed so as to allow the voter to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. ...

External links

• Voters For None of the Above