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# Telegraph gets it wrong again: Boris was elected fairly
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/telegraph-gets-it-wrong-again-boris-was-elected-fairly/
- Published: 2008-05-08T16:05:19.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:40:24.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:41

**Guy Aitchison (London,** [**OK**](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/?ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** The Telegraph's Three Line Whip blog [reports](http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/threelinewhip/may/spoiledballots.htm?ref=opendemocracy.net) 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."

But a closer look at the technical breakdown given by the London Elects [website](http://results.londonelects.org.uk/Results/MayoralResult.aspx?ref=opendemocracy.net) (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.

**Turnout and Technical Information**

Electorate

5,419,913

Papers counted / turnout

2,456,990

Turnout

45.33%

Change in turnout from 2004

Good votes

1st choice

2nd choice

2,415,958

2,004,078

Rejected votes \*

1st choice

2nd choice

41,032

412,054

Rejected votes totals include:

Blank \*\*(no votes cast)

No 2nd preference \*\*\*

13,034

407,840