Muscat: More than 2,500 voters have used the white card which denotes that they did not want to nominate anyone to the Shura Council in the first elections in which this option was allowed.
According to the results of automatic sorting displayed in the Ministry of Interior website, a total of 2,769 voters selected the 'I do not want to nominate anyone' choice from the candidates list.
Wilayats of Sohar, Saham, and Al Suwaiq voters topped the list in choosing the white card with more than 200 of these votes registered at each wilayat.
Previously, the Shura election committee had announced that this option would be made available for the first time these elections.
"None of the above" votes, also called a blank, null or spoiled vote, is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates and it takes on a variety of forms and reflects numerous voter motivations.
Along with abstention, or not voting, the white card is a sign of unhappiness with available options. it may or may not be tallied into final results. It may be considered spoiled or, depending on the electoral system, counted as "none of the above" votes.
