It seems that this will be one of the urgent demands emerging from the Grand Debate: the recognition of blank votes. And this harmless gadget is very likely to be embraced by a President who will naturally be on the lookout for harmless gadgets to fill his cart with proposals he is supposed to offer to say “I have understood you” to the yellow vests. So, it is not useless to think about this acknowledgment of blank votes.
This proposal is based on an assumption that is false: choosing leaders and representatives in a democracy is not an option but an imperative necessity. A blank vote has no meaning. If a citizen is dissatisfied with the political offerings, they must get their hands dirty and run for office or at least act to ensure that a movement representing their ideas emerges. Another option is to vote by eliminating candidates, which, let’s admit, is not very exciting but absolutely necessary (the British, who favor bipartisanship, have been practicing this sport for decades). One can reject these two stances, but at that point, one leaves the choice to others.
Recognizing the blank vote will have no tangible effect. This supposed panacea can only fizzle out. The winners of the election (there will always be some, mechanically) will ignore it in their euphoria from victory, and the losers, by giving it too much publicity, risk exacerbating the impact of their defeat.
Some proposals complement the system by suggesting the cancellation of the election if the blank vote is the majority. Apart from blocking the institutions for some time, this version does not change anything since it will be necessary to organize another election immediately afterward (as for an association’s general meeting when quorum is not met) without changing the rule. Or we accept leaving the outgoing government in power in perpetuity.
In short, as you have understood, I am not a supporter of recognizing the blank vote. But the impact of this measure is so insignificant that I do not see myself fighting against it either. Mischievously, I can even add that I might see a positive point in it. Casting a blank vote is an action that doesn’t make much sense, but it is still a civic action because one goes to vote. This means that if the measure is adopted, the abstentionists, who are presented at each election night as citizens expressing multiple noble frustrations through their non-votes, would be relegated to their condition as irresponsible individuals refusing to fulfill their civic duty. As a result, the only “abstentionist with a message” would be the one who cast a blank vote, even if the message is disheartening.
by Patrick Mottard
