Vernonites aren't spoiled

[Glacier]

I noticed the other day that in the last provincial election Vernonites, along with White Rockers and Point Greyers, had by far the least number of spoiled ballots. 1 in 350 ballots were spoiled in Vernon-Monashee and Vancouver-Point Grey while 1 in 351 were spoiled in Surrey-White Rock.

By comparison, 1 in 68 ballots (1.5% of all ballots) were spoiled in Surrey-Whalley and 1 in 75 in Vancouver-Kingsway. Why were 5 times as many ballots spoiled in Surrey-Whalley than Vernon-Monashee? Closer to home, why were 3.4 times as many ballots spoiled in Westside-Kelowna than Vernon-Monashee? Is this the result of not being breast fed as a child or something?

[southy]

Could be the water!

[bob vernon]

removed.

[xjeepguy]

removed.

That was my answer too

[Glacier]

Looks like bobvernon spoiled his post. Aw well, any theories as to why there were so few spoiled ballots in Vernon? Is it random or do Vernonites like bobvernon feel so ooglie wooglie over Eric Foster that they would much rather vote for him than spoil their ballot?

OR, it could be that Vernon-Mononucleosis had 5 candidates running, and as we all know, 5 is the optimal number of candidates...

P.S. I'm joking about the "as we all know" part because I just graphed the data, and discovered this fact right in the middle of making this post.

[ToddT]

Certainly not by their hockey team...

[twobits]

I noticed the other day that in the last provincial election Vernonites, along with White Rockers and Point Greyers, had by far the least number of spoiled ballots. 1 in 350 ballots were spoiled in Vernon-Monashee and Vancouver-Point Grey while 1 in 351 were spoiled in Surrey-White Rock.

By comparison, 1 in 68 ballots (1.5% of all ballots) were spoiled in Surrey-Whalley and 1 in 75 in Vancouver-Kingsway. Why were 5 times as many ballots spoiled in Surrey-Whalley than Vernon-Monashee? Closer to home, why were 3.4 times as many ballots spoiled in Westside-Kelowna than Vernon-Monashee? Is this the result of not being breast fed as a child or something?

Just a stab in the dark Glace but how bout overlaying a graph with the percentage of the population where english is a second language or alternatively, level of formal education, between the ridings you have cited.

[Glacier]

^ Why, you racist bass *bleep*! Are you saying that only English people can read?

Okay, you might be right!

For interest sake:
Highest percentage where English is the main language:
1) Shuswap = 98.5%
2) Kootenay East = 98%
3) Cowichan Valley = 97.9%
4) Alberni-Pacific Rim = 97.9%
5) Nelson-Creston = 97.9%
6) Fraser-Nicola = 97.8%
7) Saanich North and the Islands = 97.8%
8) Comox Valley = 97.8%
9) Powell River-Sunshine Coast = 97.6%
10) Kootenay West = 97.6%
11) Peace River South = 97.6%
12) Prince George-Valemount = 97.5%
13) Juan de Fuca = 97.5%
14) Cariboo North = 97.4%
15) Parksville-Qualicum = 97.4%
16) Columbia River-Revelstoke = 97.1%
17) Kamloops-North Thompson = 97.1%
18) Westside-Kelowna = 97%
19) Vernon-Monashee = 97%
20) Nechako Lakes = 97%
21) Chilliwack = 96.8%
22) Stikine = 96.7%
23) Kamloops-South Thompson = 96.6%
24) Chilliwack-Hope = 96.5%
25) Nanaimo = 96.4%
26) Esquimalt-Royal Roads = 96.2%
27) Penticton = 96.1%
28) Kelowna-Mission = 96%
29) North Coast = 95.8%
30) Prince George-Mackenzie = 95.8%
31) Cariboo-Chilcotin = 95.6%
32) Kelowna-Lake Country = 95.5%
....

...

80) Vancouver-Kingsway = 50.9%
81) Surrey-Newton = 48%
82) Richmond Centre = 44.4%
83) Surrey-Green Timbers = 43.9% (or 56.1% non-English, which is how the graph does it).

[bob vernon]

That's basically what I said, but it was removed. Facts are facts. Vernon had fewer spoiled ballots than Surrey. The reason is obvious. You know, as plain as black and white.