http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/2008/05/08/telegraph-gets-it-wrong-again-boris-was-elected-fairly Comments for "Telegraph gets it wrong again: Boris was elected fairly, " en http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/2008/05/08/telegraph-gets-it-wrong-again-boris-was-elected-fairly <p><strong>Guy Aitchison (London, <a href="http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/">OK</a>):</strong> The Telegraph's Three Line Whip blog <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/threelinewhip/may/spoiledballots.htm">reports</a> that the total number of "spoiled ballot papers" which included "41,032 rejected first choice votes and 412,054 rejected second choice votes" was "three times the size of Boris Johnson’s 140,000-vote majority". A "fiasco", fumes the Telegraph's David Hughes, a "democratic travesty". The Electoral Commission must take actions since "who knows what the result might have been if there had not been such a spectacular display of voter confusion."</p> <p>But a closer look at the technical breakdown given by the London Elects <a href="http://results.londonelects.org.uk/Results/MayoralResult.aspx">website</a> (below) reveals that 407,840 of the 453, 086 rejected votes were from ballot papers that didn't give a second choice at all. Far from being a "spectacular display of voter confusion" this seems like a perfectly rational choice by those who either supported only one candidate or decided that it was always going to be a run off between Ken and Boris anyway. Sorry, Telegraph, it looks like Boris won fairly after all. Take a look.</p> <p><strong>Turnout and Technical Information</strong></p> <p><table border="0" width="304"></p> <p><thead></p> <p><tr></p> <p><th></th></p> <p><th></th></p> <p></tr></p> <p></thead></p> <p><tbody></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Electorate</td></p> <p><td>5,419,913</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Papers counted / turnout</td></p> <p><td>2,456,990</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Turnout</td></p> <p><td>45.33%</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Change in turnout from 2004</td></p> <p><td></td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Good votes</p> <p>1st choice</p> <p>2nd choice</td></p> <p><td>2,415,958</p> <p>2,004,078</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Rejected votes *</p> <p>1st choice</p> <p>2nd choice</td></p> <p><td>41,032</p> <p>412,054</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p><tr></p> <p><td>Rejected votes totals include:</p> <p>Blank **(no votes cast)</p> <p>No 2nd preference ***</td></p> <p><td>13,034</p> <p>407,840</td></p> <p></tr></p> <p></tbody></table></p> http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/2008/05/08/telegraph-gets-it-wrong-again-boris-was-elected-fairly#comment Boris Johnson Mayor of London OurKingdom Uncategorized Thu, 08 May 2008 16:35:19 +0000 OurKingdom 44531 at http://www.opendemocracy.net