This Ifop poll, conducted for the Blank Vote Party, confirms that a majority still supports recognizing blank votes as valid votes: 74% of French people are in favor of this, including 45% who are “strongly in favor.” However, this level of support has dropped significantly compared to surveys conducted in 2017 and 2014 (86% and 85%).
This support follows a marked partisan divide: it is highest on the left (84%) and remains high among the presidential majority (80%). In contrast, it stands at only 58% among supporters of the National Rally (RN) and Reconquête.
Under current conditions, including blank votes in presidential voting intentions would only marginally alter the balance of power. Blank votes would account for 6% of the vote. Marine Le Pen would remain well ahead with 34%, compared to 35% when blank votes are not taken into account. She would lead Jean-Luc Mélenchon (16%) and Édouard Philippe (13%).
The landscape would, however, change significantly if blank votes had the actual power to reject the election. In that case, 36% of French people say they would cast a blank vote in the first round, 54% say they would vote for a candidate, and 10% say they would abstain. This level of blank votes is close to that recorded in 2017 (40%) and significantly higher than in 2014 (26%).
