“Could recognising blank votes improve democracy?”

Article by Thierry Aimar, senior lecturer in economics at the University of Lorraine, published on 17 September 2026 in The Conversation (Original title: « La reconnaissance du vote blanc pourrait‑elle améliorer la démocratie ? »).

In this article, Thierry Aimar examines the effects that genuine recognition of blank votes would have on the functioning of democracy. He argues that effectively taking blank votes into account – with the possibility of invalidating an election should they constitute a majority – could encourage political parties to better meet citizens’ expectations and thus help to revitalise the democratic process.