By this point in most election campaigns a plaintive question bubbles up: Can I vote for none of the above?

It surfaced early this time. The writ had barely been dropped when I received my first query from a reader who wanted to know how to express his disapproval for all of the provincial leaders and their parties. He was a conscientious citizen. He wanted to participate in the election. But he couldn’t offer his support to any of the contenders seeking the reins of power in Ontario.

Normally I respond to readers — even those who are just venting their frustration — explaining that “none of the above” is not a recognized option in Canada and cannot be added to the ballot; it will merely be discounted. To respect the spirit of the question, I offer them a list of legitimate procedures to signal their dissatisfaction with what’s being offered.

To ensure that my information was current and correct, I checked with both Elections Ontario and Elections Canada.

The most effective way for a voter to withhold support from all the candidates, according to Elections Ontario, is to go to the designated poll, provide the correct identification, receive a ballot, then hand it back to the deputy returning officer, declining to vote. The ballot is recorded and an entry is made in the poll statement that the elector declined to vote.

It’s not a perfect substitute. It leaves number-crunchers to guess what motivated the person’s behaviour. Political parties don’t pay much attention to declined ballots. And the media seldom mention them. But officially, the gesture does count.

Elections Canada offered a second choice: a spoiled ballot. By making anything other than a “X” beside one name — defacing the ballot for instance, crossing out all the names, voting for more than one candidate or soiling it in any matter — an elector can spurn the available choices. Emotionally satisfying as that might be, it wouldn’t send an effective signal. A polling official would mark it as a spoiled ballot and give the elector another one. If the same thing happened again, the ballot would be rejected.

The easiest and most popular option is not to vote at all. A record 50.8 per cent of eligible electors did that in the last provincial election. Some probably meant to signify their across-the-board displeasure, but they were outnumbered by the millions who simply couldn’t be bothered to cast a ballot.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend any of these alternatives. There are better ways to send a message to Queen’s Park:

Check out the 18 smaller registered parties to see if any of them have a platform or principles you can endorse. The Party for Human Rights in Ontario, for instance, calls for a guaranteed annual income. The Green Party promises to create jobs and save energy by helping Ontarians retrofit their homes and apartments. There is even a None of the Above (NOTA) party whose candidates are committed to representing their constituents — not their party — first. A vote for any of these political entities is an effective way to indicate what you do want, rather than expressing your displeasure.

If you are lucky enough to have a good local candidate in your riding, vote for him or her, while making it clear that you have strong misgivings about the candidate’s party. That way, you’ll at least be using your ballot to give your constituency a strong voice at Queen’s Park, despite your disillusionment.

Wait a couple of weeks. A lot can change over the course of an election campaign. You might find out something you didn’t know. Your feelings might change after the leaders’ televised debate on June 3. A late-campaign surge might develop. Unless you’re hell bent on rejecting every candidate who has chosen to run for public office, don’t make a firm decision yet.

There are very few elections — the recent contest in India was one — that produce an outpouring of euphoria and hope. Most involve compromise, a shedding of unrealistic expectations and a sober, pragmatic choice.

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Carol Goar’s column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.