Legal Definitions - wasted vote

A wasted vote is a vote that does not count towards any winning candidate. This means that the vote does not contribute to the election of any candidate. For example, if a person votes for a candidate who has no chance of winning, their vote is considered a wasted vote.

For instance, in a presidential election, if a person votes for a third-party candidate who has no chance of winning, their vote is considered a wasted vote. This is because the candidate they voted for is unlikely to win, and their vote does not contribute to the election of any candidate.