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Choosing 'E'

Along with presidential candidates, California voters will consider a host of propositions on March 7 -one of which is Proposition 23. The proposition calls for ballots to have a "none of the above" option, which will be tallied and announced like any other vote. The option, however, is non-binding. If "none of the above" wins the election, the candidate with the second greatest amount of votes is declared the winner. While well-intentioned, Proposition 23's "none of the above" option does not only lack meaning, but also strips voters of any electoral power.

Supporters of Proposition 23 claim that it is not meaningless, but important as a protest vote. Voters who want to express their dissatisfaction with the slate of candidates can do so by voting "none of the above." The only problem with this is that voters already can express dissatisfaction by not voting. There is simply no need for a "none of the above" option to express dissatisfaction, especially since not voting works. Granted, if one protests to effect change, there are more meaningful ways to do it than by not voting. Voting "none of the above," however, is not one of them. Doing so is essentially the same thing, except that when done there's the satisfaction of knowing a vote was cast. Knowing, though, that the vote cast counts for absolutely nothing makes that satisfaction shallow.

While the proponents argue that not-voting is exactly the problem a "none of the above" option addresses, it is actually not a solution at all. There is no benefit to increased voter turnout if it has no effect on the outcome of the election. Besides, apathy and what political scientists call "rational ignorance" -abstaining from voting because of ignorance of the issues or candidates' positions -are more likely culprits of low voter turnout. A "none of the above" option does nothing to bring those who are apathetic to the polls and nothing to educate those who are ignorant of the issues.

Additionally, making the "none of the above" option non-binding does render it meaningless because it takes all the bite out of the protest. Since the first-runner up wins the election regardless, voters who chose the option have wasted their time. One assumes voters chose the none of the above option because they believed that none of the candidates could properly represent them. Yet if one of those candidates represents them anyway, then their votes have meant nothing.

Putting a none of the above option on the ballot has the final, and most awful effect of turning the vote against the voter. The consequences are subtle, but they exist nonetheless. In the event of a "none of the above" victory, a candidate whom a majority of voters expressly did not want representing them takes office. By choosing "none of the above" the voter has effectively voted for a candidate he did not want elected, all the while believing that he has cast a vote against that candidate.

Nevada is currently the only state with a "none of the above" option on its ballots, and there it is considered a success. What, though, could possibly be successful about a non-binding "none of the above" option? Are more votes having less meaning considered successful? Is having a candidate who wasn't elected to office taking office anyway considered successful? There is no way a "none of the above" option can be considered a success.

If a voter wants to cast a meaningful protest vote, there are a variety of ways to do so. There are write-in candidates and third party candidates who could really use a protest vote, and nothing scares the two major parties more than a real third-party challenge.

Though the "none of the above" option as proposed is without meaning, it can have real meaning if it is made binding. This turns "none of the above" into a "no confidence" vote, causing a second election. Then the voice of the electorate has not only been heard, but heeded. A "no confidence" vote is definitely an expensive and time-consuming way to remedy the problem, but meaningful answers rarely are cheap or easy.