Spoiled,
rejected, and unused ballots need to be counted to create a complete audit
trail. These ballots remain official documents, even if not counted as valid.
Additionally, rejected ballots are essential in case of a recount.
Rules of Interpretation for Rejected Ballots
To
eliminate possible objections to the validity of a ballot, the counting officer
should be provided with clear rules of interpretation, and illustrations of
acceptable and unacceptable marks on the ballot, including the rationale for
rejection of a ballot.
Minimizing
the interpretation needed by the counting officer makes it easier to make the
necessary decisions and reduces disputes over the validity of ballots. In the
event of a close margin in favour of one candidate, a recount is likely to be
requested, and rejected ballots will be carefully analysed.
Handling Disputes Regarding Rejections
In some
jurisdictions, the presiding officer is the only person qualified to make the
final decision regarding the validity of a ballot, even if all counting
officers are involved in the counting process. He/she is also the person
handling disputes regarding objections.
If a
representative of a candidate or a political party disagrees with the counting
officer on the validity of a ballot, he/she may challenge the decision. In most
cases, the presiding officer must immediately make a decision on whether or not
the ballot is valid. In order to make more consistent decisions, the counting
officer may put all contested and questionable ballots in a separate pile while
counting valid ballots.
The
presiding officer can then decide which of the potential rejected ballots will
actually be rejected, and count the total number of rejections. The rest of the
valid ballots can then be added to the count for each political party or
candidate.
Alternatively,
all potential rejected ballots can be identified and decided on first, and then
the valid ballots can be counted.
One way
of accounting for rejected ballots is to number them on the back. The same
number will be written in the voting record book or the statement of the vote
(or a separate form can also be used), along with the decision made by the
counting officer.
All
rejected and spoiled ballots are counted and recorded in the statement of the
votes as well as on the ballot account form.
