Just the one....

[HandySize]

One of the candiates (Catherine Taylor-Dawson -Vote for Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket) in my constituency (Cardiff North) got a single vote.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/124.stm

Is this a record? Anyone get a duck?

[dafyd]

It is indeed a record. The previous was something like 36 votes. No one has ever got none (generally because they vote for themselves...)

[HandySize]

It appears that she stood in all 4 cardiff constituencys.
Obviously not a resiedent in all, she polled the following

• Cardiff South & Penarth - 79 votes
• Cardiff Central - 37 votes
• Cardiff North - 1 vote
• Cardiff West 167 votes

[GuavaHalf]

So you could get no votes because you could not vote for yourself in all four constituencies. I wonder if it will ever happen.

[Madge.B]

I have a yellow duck in my bath and you�re not getting it!!!

[THECORBYLOON]

Madge.B That contribution was most helpful. No doubt Mr Paxman will be contacting you to gain further insights into the recent election.......

[bernardo]

The previous record for the lowest number of votes for a candidate in a parliamentary election in the UK since the introduction of universal franchise was 5.  But there were several examples of candidates getting 0 in the 19th century, when the electorate of many constituencies would only be a few hundred.

Incidentally, the VFYRDT party had 6 candidates who stood in 23 constituencies between them.  If any of them had been elected in more than one constituency, they would have 4 weeks in which to choose which one to keep; they would have to resign the other(s) and there would be by-election.

[Famous5]

What is most surprising is that in order to stand a candidate must have the signatures of a proposer, a seconder and ten supporters who live in the constituency. Assuming that they would vote for the person they 'support' , in theory no candidate should get less than 12 votes

[bernardo]

What is most surprising is that in order to stand a candidate must have the signatures of a proposer, a seconder and ten supporters who live in the constituency. Assuming that they would vote for the person they 'support' , in theory no candidate should get less than 12 votes.

Actually, a candidate only needs to be nominated by 10 people (not 12).  They are listed on the nomination paper as "proposer", "seconder" and eight "assentors".  To get 10 complete strangers to agree to nominate someone as a candidate is a bit tedious and time-consuming, but very easy - in my experience it takes about 2 and a half hours each time.  To get 10 people to say yes, you have to ask about 30 or 40 people.  To find 30 or 40 people who are at home during the day, you have to ring 80 to 100 doorbells.