Spoiled ballot papers reveal write-in favourites
The number of spoiled ballot papers increased dramatically in this year’s presidential election compared to 2006. Many of the spoiled ballot papers included ‘votes’ for Donald Duck, sketch show characters and Moomins.
The percentage of rejected votes nationally stood at 0.9 percent, compared to 0.5 percent in the 2006 election.
“Donald Duck gets the most protest votes in every election,” said Timo Eerikäinen, chair of the Helsinki Electoral district board.
Other ‘candidates’ to receive support included wartime president Risto Ryti, fictional British spy ‘007’, Tove Jansson’s maternal creation Moominmamma and Captain Haddock, a character from the Tintin cartoons.
The head of the Uusimaa electoral district’s board, Matti Hilli, said that an exceptional number of ballots featuring obscenities were rejected.
”The large number of rejected ballots in the second round stemmed from voters’ frustration that their own candidates did not progress,” said Hilli. ”Ballot papers featured an exceptional number of raunchy, sexual messages.”
”Votes also went to [former president Urho Kalevi] Kekkonen and characters from [MTV3 sketch show] Putous.”
Väyrynen and Soini received votes in the second round
Candidates eliminated in the first round also attracted support.
”Many of the rejected votes featured a number 4, which was Väyrynen’s number in the first round, and there were also some featuring Soini’s number 3,” said Tiina Kyöttilä-Vettenranta, chair of the Pirkanmaa electoral district board.
Finnish rules on ballot papers are quite strict, so the hearts, smiley faces and flowers adorning some ballot papers were guaranteed to lead to rejection.
”The tight rules are to prevent the kind of culture whereby a voter could agree a mark to indicate to her party representative on the electoral district board that she had voted the right way,” explained Kyöttilä-Vettenranta.
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