Invalid Votes in the Electoral Process of May 14, 2023, Invalidity by regions and municipalities, Processes 2011 to 2023

In the May 2023 Local Government Election process at the country level, 43,127 invalid votes were cast in the voting process for mayors. This is 3% of those who voted. In the Municipal Council vote, the number is higher with 50,613 invalid ballots or 3.6% of the total number of participants.

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

At the national level, the highest vote invalidity was recorded in 2019 (6%), but this was due to the boycott of the elections by the opposition, therefore these elections are not considered normal processes, since there were not that many options for making a choice on the ballot papers.

The 2021 election process marked 5% vote invalidity, which also coincides with the new electoral system, which has brought confusion to voters

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Mayoral elections. The largest municipalities in the country also have the highest number of invalid votes, Tirana, 11,939 such, Durrës – 2,473 invalid votes, Fieri – 2,140 invalid votes and so on.

The highest invalidity in the mayoral elections results in the municipality of Përmet, with respectively 5.9% of the votes.

The municipalities with the highest invalidity following Përmet are: Kolonja 4.8%, Ura Vajgurore Dimali 4.2%, Lushnja 4.2%, Poliçani 4.1%, Fieri 4%, Përrenjasi 4% and so on. In the capital, the invalidity of the vote for the election of the mayor results in the level of 3.9%.

The least problematic municipalities in terms of vote invalidity are Dropulli 1.2%, Kukësi 1.4%, and Këlcyra 1.5%.

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Municipal Council elections. Similarly to the elections of council members, the number of invalid votes is higher in the municipality of Tirana (10,331 such votes), Durrës (2,773 votes), and Fier (2,290 votes).

The municipality with the highest vote invalidity for council members is Bulqiza with 6.4% of votes in the box.

The municipalities of Librazhd (6%), Prrenjas (6%), Finiq (5.7%), Kurbin (5.7%), Ura Vajgurore (5.4%) and so on are also problematic.

Less problematic are the 3 municipalities in which electronic voting took place, namely in Kamëz (0.9%), Vorë (1.2%), and Elbasan (1.2%).

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Only in the district of Tirana, more invalid votes result for the election of the mayor than for the members of the council. Accordingly, 3.6% of votes are invalid in the mayoral elections, compared to 3.1% that are invalid in the case of elections for council members. In all other counties, the number of invalid votes for council members is higher than for mayor.

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Regarding the invalidity by municipalities, there are only 8 municipalities in which the invalidity of the vote is higher in the mayoral elections than in the municipal council elections, namely, Përmet, Vorë, Kamëz, Elbasan, Himare, Tirana, Kolonje and Korçë.

On the other hand, in the municipalities of Kurbin, Pustec, Puka, Belsh and Bulqiza, the invalidity for the municipal council elections is 3.2 percentage points higher than in the mayoral elections.

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Compared to 2015, in the elections for the council in all districts, the invalidity of the vote was higher in 2023, excluding the district of Tirana.

Regarding the mayoral elections, the invalidity of the vote has increased more in the district of Tirana, compared to 8 years ago, namely 1.4 percentage points (2.2% in 2015 vs 3.6% in 2023).

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Invalidity according to municipalities shows that in most of them, the share of invalid ballots was greater in the 2021 elections. The exception is the municipality of Dropulli, Konispol, and Selenica, in which the invalidity in the mayoral elections is even higher than in the 2021 parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, in the Rrogozhin municipality, the invalidity of votes for the 2023 council elections is higher than in 2021.

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Table: Invalid votes by municipalities, over the years

Source: CEC
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Data, results and analysis on Electoral Processes can be accessed on the Open Data Albania website, in the Electoral Processes category.

Download excel: Invalid Votes in the Electoral Process of May 14, 2023, Invalidity by regions and municipalities, Processes 2011 to 2023
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania
Contributed by: Ilir Brasha
Translated by: Etleva Pushi