Can you vote none of the above

Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first. Voters can spoil ballots but that may not convey dissatisfaction. Under the rules of the Canada Elections Act, rejected and spoiled ballots are not counted for any candidate and the reason for rejection or spoiling is not reported either. Read more: Canada election voting guide — All you need know about the federal vote. According to Elections Canada , when Canadians went to the polls in , only one per cent of the However, that may not be feasible.

Read more: 1 in 8 Canadians are undecided about the election. It could encourage people to do no research on the political parties and just show up, tick a box then leave without truly participating in democracy, he argued. We should be encouraging people to make the substantive choice and do whatever minimal research you need to do, including perhaps just investigating your own values.

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read the TOKO privacy policy here. Category Human Rights. Flag this petition for review. Reasons for signing To give non voters a voice.. The website was created to draw attention to Section 53 of the Ontario Elections Act, which states that voters unwilling to choose a candidate, or abstain from the process, can essentially vote for no one instead.

According to the law, voters who submit unmarked ballots will have their choice counted as "declined," and it will count towards the tally of voters who chose not to support any candidate at all. The declined ballots are counted separately from those that have been "spoiled" with an illegible or otherwise unclear mark. Declined ballots are often considered protest votes, sending a message to politicians that voters are unhappy either with politicians' behaviour, or with the options available.

According to Elections Ontario, there were 2, declined ballots in the provincial election. In , the total was 3, The Ontario election set a new record in low voter turnout, when only A report issued by Elections Ontario Monday showed that voter turnout at advanced polls dipped six per cent this year, compared to , suggesting Thursday's election turnout may be even lower than in the past.

While Elections Ontario didn't publish data on why people are choosing not to vote, a Statistics Canada report found that 7. We welcome your comments. Bell Media reviews every comment submitted, and reserves the right to approve comments and edit for brevity and clarity. Please be advised: Comments are moderated and will not appear on site until they have been reviewed. Comments are not open on some news articles; Bell Media reserves the right to choose commenting availability.

Thank you for following these guidelines and contributing your thoughts. You are contributing to debate and discussion, and helping to make this website a more open place. Stay on top of what's happening on the Hill with Rachel Aiello's updates on the minority Parliament when it's in session. For a ballot to be declined, a voter must leave the ballot completely blank. Low voter turnout in Ontario elections According to Elections Ontario, there were 2, declined ballots in the provincial election.

Related Stories Ontario election: A guide to voting. Turnout at advanced polls down compared to last Ont. If you have trouble reading the characters in the picture, click it to see a new one.