Where do invalid votes go and how do they affect election results?

The article reviews the definition of invalid votes in Knesset elections, the difference between them and wasted votes, and their impact on election results. It explains that invalid votes do not affect the distribution of seats, unlike wasted votes given to lists that did not pass the electoral threshold. The article details the types of invalid votes, the meaning of the blank ballot, and compares the rate of invalid votes in Israel to the world.

The article explains what invalid votes are in Knesset elections and distinguishes them from wasted votes. Invalid votes, defined according to Section 78 of the Elections Law, are not counted in the calculation of seat distribution and do not affect election results. In contrast, wasted votes are valid votes given to lists that did not pass the electoral threshold (3.25%), and they affect the calculation of the threshold. The article details types of invalid votes: non-standard envelopes, ballots with identifying marks, ballots from different lists in the same envelope, and blank white ballots. It emphasizes that a blank white ballot is not a protest vote or abstention, but an invalid vote, and it even raises the voter turnout rate. The article compares the rate of invalid votes in Israel (0.63% in the 2022 elections) to the OECD average (over 2%), and lists factors affecting their rate: protest voting, complexity of the electoral system, complex voting procedures, and public education.

Where do invalid votes go and how do they affect election results?