The debate behind France's fudged recognition of the blank vote
The blank vote, also known as a white vote, will be partially recognised as a legitimate vote in France following the adoption of a bill of law to that effect during its final passage before the French parliament’s upper house last week. However, it will not be considered as an effective part of election results, in which only ballot papers with named candidates will be included. For the new legislation simply distinguishes the blank vote from invalid, spoiled, votes with which it was previously included. While the law’s supporters argue that this partial recognition of the blank vote will reduce abstentions and protest votes for extremist parties, a number of political analysts dismiss that view as naive. Mathieu Magnaudeix reports.
TheThe bill of law recognising the blank vote (also known as a white vote) as an act of voting was definitively adopted by both the upper and lower houses of the French parliament after a final vote in the French Senate on February 12th, after being largely watered down during its passages before both.
