1' Why so many rejected ballots

1
1. Why so many rejected ballots?

• Possible explanations
• The AMS electoral system is too complicated
• Having an STV election on the same day confused
  people
• Having both votes on the same ballot paper
  confused people
• The instructions on the ballot papers were
  inadequate
• Some voters are just too stupid

2
Rejected ballots over time
3
Understanding ballot papers over time
4
AMS v STV - understanding ballot papers
5
Rejected ballots by category
6
Understanding ballot papers by region
7
A Falkirk (C. Scotland) ballot paper
8
A Glasgow/Lothians ballot paper
9
Voter perceptions of the problems
10
Why so many rejected ballots?
11
Perceived fairness of the 2007 election
12
Confident that your vote counted?
How likely that the result was affected?
13
Reported effect on likelihood to vote

• Dubious people tend to overstate effect
• But effects stand even controlling for lots of
  other things
• So some evidence of damage so far