From: "John Beamish" 

Technically inaccurate.  But note, only "technically" because the
rules differ between federal, provincial and, on those rare occasions,
referenda.

In federal elections you show up, you get marked on the voters list as
having shown up, you get your ballot.  At that point, you can go behind the
screen, mark/notmark the ballot, refold it, and return.  Or you can simply
bypass that portion and not make the trip to the voting screen.

In either case, you then give the ballot paper to the DRO who tears off the
counterfoil and then hands the ballot back to you and you deposit it into
the ballot box.

In other words, no matter what you choose, your ballot paper goes into the
ballot box.  During counting, an unmarked (or incorrectly marked) ballot is
treated as a "rejected  ballot".

There is also a "spoiled ballot".  A spoiled ballot is one which
has been incorrectly printed ("smudged" is the standard example)
or one which the voter marks incorrectly and identifies it as such before
it gets deposited into the ballot box.  A spoiled ballot never enters the
ballot box but is placed, instead, into a special envelope and you are
given a replacement ballot paper.  You'd better do it right this time:  you
only get one replacement ballot paper.

In Ontario provincial elections you show up, you get marked on the voters
list as having shown up, you decline the ballot and it goes (I believe)
into a special envelope but does not go into the ballot box.

Clear as mud, eh!

"Doug Bryce"  wrote in message
news:412fad6c.7428299{at}news.barkto.com...
> On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 15:15:28 -0400, "Rich Gauszka"
>  wrote:
>
>
> Silly question......by 'abstain' do you mean that you just won't
> bother to vote, or is that something you can do at the polling station
> to reflect your displeasure with the choice of candidate?
>
> Up here in Canada (ceratinly in Ontario, at least) we have an option
> called 'decline the ballot'.   You go to the polling station, accept
> your ballot - we still use paper, btw - then 'decline' it.  Your
> ballot then has to be recorded in that specific category.  It at least
> shows that you cared enough to go out and perform that action rather
> than just staying home.
>
> doug
>

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