New ‘none of the above’ option does poorly in Indian elections
The BBC reports:
The new polling option is meant to “empower the voter to reject all candidates”, The Times of India reports, adding that it got a mere 0.63% of the votes in Delhi, followed by 1.9% in Madhya Pradesh and 1.92% in Rajasthan, though its tally was higher in the insurgency-affected Chhattisgarh, where 3.07% chose Nota.
The Wall Street Journal adds:
Political analysts said the number choosing to vote for “none of the above” was low in Delhi because there the AAP acted as a protest vote against the country’s two main parties…
The provision, which was introduced following a ruling in September by the Supreme Court, differs from the “right to reject” system whereby if the majority of voters reject all candidates, a reelection is held. Even if the majority of voters reject all candidates it has no affect on election outcomes in India.
Fair enough… but let’s try it here! The knowledge of that option might just get more people to the ballot box than currently