'You need less ID to vote than to park or bank' blog discussion 6 May 2010 at 12:48PM in Martin's blogs & appearances & MoneySavingExpert in the news 46 replies 5.2K views

Former_MSE_Penelope

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "You need less ID to vote than to park or bank" Blog.

Please click reply to discuss below.

shoey79

I went to my voting stating this morning.

I took the card with me, for verification they asked for my name and Address...it was on the card already.

Every vote counts, just look in the phone book, go to a polling station and vote under someone elses name! I thought it might require more, but they didnt even ask for any ID...oh well...

euterpe13

All of which supports the use of photographic ID cards, anathema though it may be to the Brit in the street - in both France & Spain, you produce ID to vote. Or how about bringing in mandatory voting, as in some countries? That way, much less risk of both phantom voters and usurpation of identity

Psykicpup

it also worried me that I 'made my mark' with a crayon on a string ... open to abuse....much?

JimmyTheWig

I've never heard of anyone whose vote was "stolen", so I can't imagine it's much of a problem.

Though, interestingly, we had a Lib-Dem council candidate knock earlier to see if we'd voted (we had). I would imagine that if we hadn't the next question would have been if we intended to.
I guess that's the only information you'd need to make a scam like this work. I'm not suggesting the guy at our door was trying to scam people's votes, mind you...

savetilibleed

I absolutely agree - it is mad how easy you could vote, claiming to be someone else. I wonder what would happen if the real person turned up later

They didn't make it easy either. What I mean is - there were only three booths and the one I stepped into, the way they tied the pencil or crayon or whatever on meant the end of the string was a long as the pencil, therebu getting in the way. The room was lit by spotlights in the ceiling and my booth was in almost darkness as it was in the shade of the spots.

Not sure if in an adjacent ward to ours just a short distance away, the polling station appeared to have moved after opening. It is usually in the primary school and so it was this morning (the sign was seen outside). But later it was seen in a community hall. All the children and mums were leaving the school so it can't have been there later. Umm I dunno, did someone get it wrong and maybe they forgot to tell the parents? Duh.

donquine

I couldn't find my polling card and was worried it would make voting difficult. Looked up my polling station online, turned up, no queues... Said I had no card, they said that was fine, asked for my address, told me my name and gave me a ballot paper! It would be incredibly easy for someone to have taken my vote!

I always feel uneasy about voting in pencil. I would have thought it more secure to provide pens?

Anyway, done now.

CannyJock

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Though, interestingly, we had a Lib-Dem council candidate knock earlier to see if we'd voted (we had). I would imagine that if we hadn't the next question would have been if we intended to.

I was once offered a lift to the polling station and back by door-to-door canvassers on election day when I'd not had a chance to vote. Hadn't considered the money saving potential to use their fuel and not mine

JimmyTheWig

CannyJock wrote: »

I was once offered a lift to the polling station and back by door-to-door canvassers on election day when I'd not had a chance to vote. Hadn't considered the money saving potential to use their fuel and not mine

How far away is your polling station?
Even our second closest is within easy walking distance from home.

I hope it wasn't a party with green credentials offering lifts!

immoral_angeluk

I didn't even have my polling card, just gave my name and address. Could easily be abused that system!

usenetz

When I went to vote I gave them an address, (my address by chance ;-), and they told me who was left to vote for that address, (my partner had already voted); "That's me" said I, "OK, here you go", said they, handing me a ballot paper.

Easy Peasey!