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Patrick Breyer and Pirate Party lose EU Parliament seats
(stackdiary.com)
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I was considering voting for the pirate party, but they polled at less than 5% in France and it was not a useful vote, which was evidently needed.
I would have voted for the Pirate Party if there was a ballot for them.
Didn't print it beforehand so I couldn't.
Last time I printed my own ballot they just didn't count it and my vote was considered invalid. Even though I had the exact size required by regulations...
Wait, am I missing something here? Are there countries where you don't have all options on the ballot, or at least an empty space?
Edit: Saw your explanation in another comment. Wouldn't having to bring your own ballot also invalidate voting secrecy, since bringing your own indicates that you most likely intent to vote for an unlisted party (and, in reverse, anyone using the regular ballot voting for a party that's listed)?
It affects secrecy a bit but you still have to take at least two different ballots into the voting booth. Obviously you are bringing your own ballot and taking one already printed so it's not really a secret.
Also there was taped garbage bags in the voting booth so that people can throw away their discarded ballots but that's also a great way to show what every else has been voting before me...
I still think our voting system is quite ok but there are definitely flaws.
Concerning your edit, not sure about other countries, but I can speak about the process in France.
We get (normally) ballots with the programs in the mail before the elections, so we can also bring ballots from there. Then the way it works when voting is
So there's not really a way to definitely know you're voting for an unlisted candidate here.