Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence Party was most often crossed off the ballot by voters in Saturday‘s elections. A total of 483 voters who cast their ballot for the Independence Party crossed Bjarni off the party slate. Four of the five candidates who were most often struck out by voters were from the Independence Party.
Conservative voters signaling displeasure with leadership
By crossing a candidate off the ballot or by rearranging the order of candidates on a party slate voters can signal their displeasure with the candidates offered by the party they choose to vote for. If enough voters cross a candidate off the ballot they can change the vote totals of the candidate in question, possibly bumping him down a seat. The cross-overs of Bjarni did not affect the outcome of the election.
Other candidates who were most likely to be crossed over by voters were Ásmundur Friðriksson, who was no 2 on the Independence Party ticket in South Iceland. Ásmundur, who was crossed over by 377 voters, has made several highly controversial statements about immigrants. Brynjar Níelsson and Sigríður Á. Andersen, who played key roles in the „Pardon-gate“ scandal which led to the collapse of the conservative led coalition government, prompting the snap elections, came in 3rd and 5th with 334 and 194 cross overs.
The only non-conservative in the top-5 was Steingrímur J. Sígfússon, former chairman of the Left Green Movement, who was crossed out or moved down the list of candidates by 258 voters of the Left Greens.
Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence Party was most often crossed off the ballot by voters in Saturday‘s elections. A total of 483 voters who cast their ballot for the Independence Party crossed Bjarni off the party slate. Four of the five candidates who were most often struck out by voters were from the Independence Party.
Conservative voters signaling displeasure with leadership
By crossing a candidate off the ballot or by rearranging the order of candidates on a party slate voters can signal their displeasure with the candidates offered by the party they choose to vote for. If enough voters cross a candidate off the ballot they can change the vote totals of the candidate in question, possibly bumping him down a seat. The cross-overs of Bjarni did not affect the outcome of the election.
Other candidates who were most likely to be crossed over by voters were Ásmundur Friðriksson, who was no 2 on the Independence Party ticket in South Iceland. Ásmundur, who was crossed over by 377 voters, has made several highly controversial statements about immigrants. Brynjar Níelsson and Sigríður Á. Andersen, who played key roles in the „Pardon-gate“ scandal which led to the collapse of the conservative led coalition government, prompting the snap elections, came in 3rd and 5th with 334 and 194 cross overs.
The only non-conservative in the top-5 was Steingrímur J. Sígfússon, former chairman of the Left Green Movement, who was crossed out or moved down the list of candidates by 258 voters of the Left Greens.
