白票

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 白票 (はくひょう) is a noun for a ballot submitted without a candidate or option being marked.
• Basic usage: It is used when counting blank ballots in an election or discussing what qualifies as one.
  • 物語の選挙では白票が予想以上に多かった。 — The election in the story produced more blank ballots than expected.
  • 授業で白票がどのような票かを話し合った。 — In class, we discussed what constitutes an unmarked ballot.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Blank and invalid ballots
  • 白票 focuses on a ballot left unmarked. Not every invalid ballot is necessarily blank, so the two ranges should not automatically be treated as identical.