Clause 7 - Encouraging voting
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
6:45 pm
Mr Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
I find it intriguing that the Electoral Commission was set up to encourage people to vote, but we are arguing that we should be encouraging it to encourage abstention. Does the hon. Gentleman define abstention in two different ways? For example, someone might go to the poll and ruin the ballot paper and someone else might sit at home and not turn up. How do we judge whether the act of abstention is positive or not?