However, in some jurisdictions, spoiled votes can help to change the outcome of a referendum. In many countries, a referendum is only valid if a certain number of people - usually 40% of the electorate or more - turn out to vote.
Because of this requirement, spoiled votes can help turn an unsuccessful referendum into a successful one. Suppose for example, 100 people are voting in a referendum and turnout must be 50% for it be successful.
If 22 people vote Yes and 18 people vote no, 55% of participants are in favour of the referendum but it fails because only 40% of voters turned out. However if another 11 people spoil their ballots then the turnout rises to 51% and the referendum is successful. It is thus theoretically possible for spoiled ballots to help a referendum succeed where it would otherwise fail.
Similarly, spoiled ballots can help to defeat a referendum. In some countries a successful referendum needs to have the support of certain portion of the entire electorate (usually more than 50%), regardless of how many of them turnout to vote. In that situation, in a Yes or No referendum, even though spoiled ballots are not recorded as "No" votes, they actually help to reject the referendum, as only "Yes" votes count towards crossing the minimum threshold for success.
As such, all though they do not count towards the official result, spoiled votes can help to change the outcome of a referendum. In this sense they are much more powerful than they are in normal elections. However this is only true of certain jurisdictions where these limitations exist - in a country like the United Kingdom, where a referendum counts regardless of how many people turn out to vote, spoiled ballots remain powerless.
The votes are counted by the county where the voting takes place.
It is called a referendum ( plural referenda ) .
A referendum is a general vote where an entire electorate votes on a single political question that has been directed to them for a decision. Referendum can also refer to the process of referring a political question to the electorate with the intention of them voting on it in a referendum.
Referendum
All votes in a papal election are counted by hand. There are no voting machines used.
The votes are counted in 4 years on November 4. President Obama is this year's president. The votes are counted in 4 years on November 4. President Obama is this year's president.
1at a time
Electoral votes are sent from each state to Congress to be counted.
People counted them by hand. A lot of places still do that.
AL GORE SHOULD HAVE WON GEORGE BUSH IS A MONKEY!!!!!!!!!
When the votes of the electoral college are counted.
When the votes of the electoral college are counted.