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A protest vote (also known as a blank vote or white vote) is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate the voter's dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates or rejection of the current political system. In this latter case, protest vote may take the form of a valid vote, but instead of voting for the mainstream candidates, it is a vote in favor of a minority or fringe candidate, either from the far-left or far-right, or self-presenting as a candidate foreign to the political system.

Along with abstention, or refraining from casting a vote, protest voting can be an indication of dissatisfaction with political candidates or the status quo. Both abstention and protest voting can lead to depressed voter turnout, which endangers the credibility of the voting system. If protest vote takes the form of a blank vote, it may or may not be tallied into final results depending on the rules. Thus, it may either result in a spoilt vote (which is the case most of the time) or, if the electoral system accepts to take it into account, as a "none of the above" vote.

Types of protest votes
Protest vote can take different forms:


 * Voting for a fringe, ineligible, deceased, or even fictional candidate (null).
 * Spoiling the ballot paper (null).
 * Marking nothing on the ballot paper (white or blank vote).
 * Selecting a none of the above (none) or "blank vote" option, if one exists.
 * Selecting a vote in favor of a different voting system based on a Condorcet method

Sometimes, a person may use uncommon or illegal methods to protest vote. Examples include physical destruction of the ballot (for example, ripping the ballot apart or eating it), asking other people to vote for them, or selling their ballot (for example, putting their vote on auction sites).

Abstention as protest vote
Abstention may be considered a form of protest vote when it is not the result of apathy or indifference towards politics in general. The anarchist movement, which has since its origins rejected representative democracy in favor of a more direct form of government, traditionally calls for abstention in an active and protest gesture. In states where voting is compulsory, abstention may be seen as an act of political disappointment. Abstention in compulsory voting systems tends to be somewhat ineffective, as the protest 'message' is likely to be confused with apathy. Abstention may help maintain the status quo, which may be seen as antithetical to the purpose of protesting in the first place. In a system where one candidate has a majority of support, protesting by abstention will increase that majority in the election results.

The abstain vote actually increases the proportion of votes for the most popular candidate, while voting against the popular candidate(s) by voting for any other option(s) would close the electoral margin. In a wider context, closing the margin may result in a hung parliament, or a smaller difference between the parties in government, reducing the chance of a single party having control over the system.

Voting for fringe candidates
"Protest vote" also refers, in a more derogatory manner, to specific demographic categories, classifying populations according to the frequency and nature of their vote. Thus, in the US, middle-income families vote more often than the working class or marginalized populations.

After the 2002 French presidential election, in which far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen arrived second behind conservative candidate Jacques Chirac, many analysts identified the working class as having engaged in "protest vote" in support of fringe candidates, or even to figures from outside politics (examples from France include environmentalist René Dumont in 1974, comedian Coluche in 1981 who withdrew his candidacy before the elections, environmentalist Pierre Rabhi who unsuccessfully tried to present himself in 2002, as well as TV showman Nicolas Hulot who almost stood for the election for 2007, before putting aside his idea, thus leaving electoral space for José Bové, a figure of the alterglobalization movement who recently decided to present himself as an independent candidate).

Voting for a fringe candidate, where the vote is taken into account but accused of being "useless", is often considered by political analysts to be either a form of populism or poujadism. For example, French voters were encouraged by the establishment to make a "useful" vote in the 2007 presidential election: by voting either for Nicolas Sarkozy, candidate of the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement, or for Ségolène Royal, candidate of the centre-left Socialist Party.

Electing a political newcomer
Significant popular support for a person who had never previously been involved in politics may be seen as a form of "protest vote". When the 37-year-old Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council, Ralph Regenvanu, stood for Parliament in 2008, he was a political newcomer. He campaigned on the theme of bringing a fresh face and a fresh approach to politics, and was elected in his constituency with a record high number of votes. This prompted Transparency International Vanuatu to applaud his election and his first days in office: "Port Vila MP Ralph Regenvanu was elected by the "Protest Vote" – essentially by those people who were sick and tired of the traditional politics, and it is encouraging to see him exercising his mandate."

Protest vote in various countries
In the United States, cartoon and other fictitious characters are typically used as protest votes; as Mickey Mouse is the most well-known and well-recognized character in the United States, his name is frequently selected for protest voting. Other popular selections include Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny. The earliest known mention of Mickey Mouse as a write-in candidate dates back to the 1932 New York City mayoral elections, in which Mickey Mouse and Al Capone received one vote each.

A similar phenomenon occurs in the parliamentary elections in Finland and Sweden, where Finns and Swedes commonly write Donald Duck as a protest vote. In Ukraine, the Internet Party had nominated candidates named Darth Vader for mayoral elections in Kyiv and Odesa and tried to nominate Darth Vader for presidency, although this application was rejected.

In Switzerland, on 9 February 2014, the Federal popular initiative "against mass immigration" was accepted by 50.3% of valid votes (49.7% against the initiative), with a difference of 19,526 votes.