The Ballot Paper: a Constitutional Instrument of Electoral Democracy or a Means of Manipulating the Electorate?

Fedorenko, Vladyslav; Nesterovych, Volodymyr; Bernaziuk, Ian

Abstract

The article portrays the ballot paper as a constitutional instrument of electoral democracy. The authors argue that the result of an election often depends on the form, the content, and the method of filling out the ballot. It is shown that a ballot is an election instrument of standard form, by means of which a voter votes for candidates and/or lists of candidates, and which later allows to establish the election results. It is concluded that the definition and classification of ballot types has not only theoretical but also practical value. In particular, this issue is of great practical significance in four cases: 1) simultaneous elections of differing types (sometimes including a simultaneous vote at a referendum); election of candidates for elective offices under different types of electoral systems or different types of territorial constituencies; 3) the vote count and establishing the outcome of the election; 4) prosecuting criminals for the illegal use of ballots.

Keywords

ballot paper (1)constitutional instrument (1)electoral democracy (1)electorate (1)

References

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban, Gambia to switch from glass marble voting to use of ballot papers, “Euronews” 2018, https://bit.ly/2IvyB5A. [Google Scholar]
Biderman K., Representative institutions with popular elections, [in:] A. Gasthausen (ed.), Constitutional principle, its historical development and its interaction with the political and social life of states and peoples. Digest of articles. In two parts, Vol. 1, St. Petersburg 1866, pp. 5–274. [Google Scholar]
Blom-Hansen J., Elklit J., Serritzlew S., Villadsen L.R., Ballot position and election results: Evidence from a natural experiment, “Electoral Studies” 2016, 44, pp. 172–183. [Google Scholar]
Brook D., Upton G.J.G., Biases in local government elections due to position on the ballot paper, “Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series C (Applied Statistics)” 1974, 23(3), pp. 414–419. [Google Scholar]
Buckley F., Collins N., Reidy T., Ballot paper photographs and low-information elections in Ireland, “Politics” 2007, 27(3), pp. 174–181. [Google Scholar]
Darcy R., McAllister I., Ballot position effects, “Electoral Studies” 1990, 9(1), pp. 5–17. [Google Scholar]
Gneist R., Representative system in England. Historical essay, [in:] A. Gasthausen (ed.), Constitutional principle, its historical development and its interaction with the political and social life of states and peoples. Digest of articles. In two parts, Vol. 2, St. Petersburg 1866, pp. 277–343. [Google Scholar]
International IDEA (2020), Invalid Votes, https://www.idea.int/data-tools/question--view/443. [Google Scholar]
Johns R., Shephard M., Facing the voters: The potential impact of ballot paper photographs in British elections, “Political Studies” 2011, 59(3), pp. 636–658. [Google Scholar]
Latyshev V.V., Essays on Greek Antiquities, Part I: State and military antiquities, 2 ed., St. Petersburg 1888. [Google Scholar]
Leigh A., Susilo T., Is voting skin-deep? Estimating the effect of candidate ballot photographs on election outcomes, “Journal of Economic Psychology” 2009, 30(1), pp. 61–70. [Google Scholar]
Lutz G., First come, first served: The effect of ballot position on electoral success in open ballot PR elections, “Representation” 2010, 46(2), pp. 167–181. [Google Scholar]
Nesterovych V., Election Campaign: Dictionary of Slang Terms and Expressions, Kyiv 2020. [Google Scholar]
Marshall B.A., Libertas Populi: The Introduction of Secret Ballot at Rome and its Depiction on Coinage, “Antichthon” 1997, 31, pp. 54–73. [Google Scholar]
Prens G., Suffrage universal. Its meanings and consequences, translated from the French, St. Petersburg 1906. [Google Scholar]
Petersen S.D., Jaecks H.K., U.S. Patent No. 6,951,303, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Washington, DC 2005. [Google Scholar]
Reynolds A., Steenbergen M., How the world votes: the political consequences of ballot design, innovation and manipulation, “Electoral Studies” 2006, 25(3), pp. 570–598. [Google Scholar]

Full metadata record

Cite this record

APA style

Fedorenko, Vladyslav & Nesterovych, Volodymyr & Bernaziuk, Ian (2021). The Ballot Paper: a Constitutional Instrument of Electoral Democracy or a Means of Manipulating the Electorate?. (2021). The Ballot Paper: a Constitutional Instrument of Electoral Democracy or a Means of Manipulating the Electorate?. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, 13(1), 51-79. https://doi.org/10.7206/kp.2080-1084.428 (Original work published 3/2021AD)

MLA style

Fedorenko, Vladyslav and Nesterovych, Volodymyr and Bernaziuk, Ian. “The Ballot Paper: A Constitutional Instrument Of Electoral Democracy Or A Means Of Manipulating The Electorate?”. 3/2021AD. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, vol. 13, no. 1, 2021, pp. 51-79.

Chicago style

Fedorenko, Vladyslav and Nesterovych, Volodymyr and Bernaziuk, Ian. “The Ballot Paper: A Constitutional Instrument Of Electoral Democracy Or A Means Of Manipulating The Electorate?”. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia nad Prawem, 13, no. 1 (2021): 51-79. doi:10.7206/kp.2080-1084.428.

Copyright info

CC-BY

[1] Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban, Gambia to switch from glass marble voting to use of ballot papers, “Euronews” 2018, https://bit.ly/2IvyB5A. [Google Scholar]

[2] Biderman K., Representative institutions with popular elections, [in:] A. Gasthausen (ed.), Constitutional principle, its historical development and its interaction with the political and social life of states and peoples. Digest of articles. In two parts, Vol. 1, St. Petersburg 1866, pp. 5–274. [Google Scholar]

[3] Blom-Hansen J., Elklit J., Serritzlew S., Villadsen L.R., Ballot position and election results: Evidence from a natural experiment, “Electoral Studies” 2016, 44, pp. 172–183. [Google Scholar]

[4] Brook D., Upton G.J.G., Biases in local government elections due to position on the ballot paper, “Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series C (Applied Statistics)” 1974, 23(3), pp. 414–419. [Google Scholar]

[5] Buckley F., Collins N., Reidy T., Ballot paper photographs and low-information elections in Ireland, “Politics” 2007, 27(3), pp. 174–181. [Google Scholar]

[6] Darcy R., McAllister I., Ballot position effects, “Electoral Studies” 1990, 9(1), pp. 5–17. [Google Scholar]

[7] Gneist R., Representative system in England. Historical essay, [in:] A. Gasthausen (ed.), Constitutional principle, its historical development and its interaction with the political and social life of states and peoples. Digest of articles. In two parts, Vol. 2, St. Petersburg 1866, pp. 277–343. [Google Scholar]

[8] International IDEA (2020), Invalid Votes, https://www.idea.int/data-tools/question--view/443. [Google Scholar]

[9] Johns R., Shephard M., Facing the voters: The potential impact of ballot paper photographs in British elections, “Political Studies” 2011, 59(3), pp. 636–658. [Google Scholar]

[10] Latyshev V.V., Essays on Greek Antiquities, Part I: State and military antiquities, 2 ed., St. Petersburg 1888. [Google Scholar]

[11] Leigh A., Susilo T., Is voting skin-deep? Estimating the effect of candidate ballot photographs on election outcomes, “Journal of Economic Psychology” 2009, 30(1), pp. 61–70. [Google Scholar]

[12] Lutz G., First come, first served: The effect of ballot position on electoral success in open ballot PR elections, “Representation” 2010, 46(2), pp. 167–181. [Google Scholar]

[13] Nesterovych V., Election Campaign: Dictionary of Slang Terms and Expressions, Kyiv 2020. [Google Scholar]

[14] Marshall B.A., Libertas Populi: The Introduction of Secret Ballot at Rome and its Depiction on Coinage, “Antichthon” 1997, 31, pp. 54–73. [Google Scholar]

[15] Prens G., Suffrage universal. Its meanings and consequences, translated from the French, St. Petersburg 1906. [Google Scholar]

[16] Petersen S.D., Jaecks H.K., U.S. Patent No. 6,951,303, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Washington, DC 2005. [Google Scholar]

[17] Reynolds A., Steenbergen M., How the world votes: the political consequences of ballot design, innovation and manipulation, “Electoral Studies” 2006, 25(3), pp. 570–598. [Google Scholar]

Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia nad Prawem