Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of spoilt votes under the supplementary vote electoral system.

The last set of elections held under the supplementary vote electoral system were the local government and PCC elections in May 2021. The percentage of rejected ballot papers at those elections was higher than at elections using first past the post in the same year: 0.8% for the local government elections compared to 2.7% for the PCC and 4.3% for Mayor of London.

The Commission’s report following the elections noted that the number of rejected ballot papers for the Mayor of London election was notably higher than it had been at previous elections. The most significant difference compared to previous elections was the record 20 candidates which had led to a new two-column ballot paper design to accommodate electronic counting requirements. The report emphasised that clear and effective ballot paper design is essential to help voters cast their votes correctly. It recommended that alternative ballot paper designs should be tested in advance of future elections.