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Wasted vote
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Electoral_system/e6zvx3Bo">electoral systems</a>, a wasted vote is any vote cast that is not "used" to elect a winner, and so is not represented in the outcome. However, the term is vague and ill-defined, having been used to refer to a wide variety of unrelated concepts and metrics. The way a wasted vote is defined changes the analysis. </p><p>A system's waste of votes is seldom imposed on each party equally. More wasted votes for one party and less for another creates a disproportionate chamber of elected members. Elections are often said to mean to produce a micro-copy of the wider society, distortions produced by wasted votes work against that conversion process. However, a system that produces wasted votes may prevent instability caused by many parties being elected to the legislature. </p>