It has been suggested that this article be merged with Exhausted choices. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2023.

An exhausted ballot occurs when a voter overvotes, undervotes, or voter ranks only candidates that are eliminated from race (Exhausted choices ).

Because these votes are not tabulated in the final round, that ballot does not influence the election after it becomes exhausted.

Exhausted ballot types

RCV (IRV) Ballot maybe be flagged as 'exhausted' for several different reasons.

Overvote

An overvote occurs when a voter marks two candidates in a single column/rank. For example, if a voter marked both Janie Smith and Aaron Jones as his first choice, his ballot would not count in the election. Likewise, if a voter correctly ranked his first choice but marked two candidates in the following column, only the first choice would be tabulated.

Undervote

An undervote occurs when a voter skips two or more columns or rankings. For example, if a voter picked Janie Smith as his first choice, skipped his second and third choice and selected another candidate as his fourth choice, his ballot would not count in the election after the first round.

Exhausted Choices

An exhausted choice occurs when a voter ranks only candidates that are eliminated from contention. See details at Exhausted choices

Ballot Exhaustion

Refers to processing a ranked choice voting contest on a cast ballot, when that ballot becomes inactive and cannot be advanced in the tabulation for a contest because there are no further valid rankings on the ballot for continuing contest options.