'You need less ID to vote than to park or bank' blog discussion

heatherks

i find it rediculous as well that they didnt even ask for proof of identity never mind address ...(bill or bank statement ) if you didnt havre voters card ..could have done the voting for half your relations or neighbours
...some places abroad they stamp your hand to show you voted lol

MsHoarder

There is the protection of course that each polling station only has a few thousand voters, so if you went back enough times for it to be worthwhile they'd notice.

Also, there are constitutional issues with the government requiring ID and then not permitting those without it to vote, which there aren't for (for example) opening a bank account. Basically if a subject of the UK is stopped from voting based on a decision that the last government made, then that is clearly not acceptable.

tara747

How hard is it to place an X in the right box BTW??????????

callum9999

MsHoarder wrote: »

There is the protection of course that each polling station only has a few thousand voters, so if you went back enough times for it to be worthwhile they'd notice.

Also, there are constitutional issues with the government requiring ID and then not permitting those without it to vote, which there aren't for (for example) opening a bank account. Basically if a subject of the UK is stopped from voting based on a decision that the last government made, then that is clearly not acceptable.

True, but most people nowadays have photo ID. And if they didn't, they could copy NI and issue temporary election ID to people who don't have it. As long as its advertised well, and maybe for the first time they enforce it they have people at the polling station who can verify your identity (not quite sure how, birth certificate? - not overly secure but its quite hard to steal it from someone), there shouldn't be any problems.

Old_Wrinkly

Sorry, but it is probably easy nowadays to forge photo ID.
A better way might be a PIN system, similar to the one the banks use, that is sent to your home address - you then have to trust the Post Office/Royal Mail (or whatever it's called these days) to deliver it safely - but they do this already with the Poll Cards.
There is some pressure on the UK anyway to introduce electronic voting - running a human-intensive General Election is very costly.

Butti

Psykicpup wrote: »

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

You have local agents and local polling staff which is why you read the name out loud. If 'someone' subsequently comes in and votes under your name the !!!! will hit the fan and there is likely to be questions asked. I've worked about 10 times at polling stations and its never happened at one that I've been at.

The cross on the paper goes into a sealed box that is unsealed at the count. At the count there are people peering over your shoulder all the time checking what you are doing.

If you want to you can make your mark in pen. You can also make your mark a tick or a smiley face, just so long as it is against only one candidate.

I realise I'm asking you to believe in the integrity of the polling station staff BUT if they get it wrong they can go to prison for six months.

Butti

emweaver wrote: »

last election i wasn t allowed to vote i messed up my ballot paper they said i couldnt have another

Emweaver, this is wrong. If you turned round and said 'I've spoilt my ballot paper they have to give you another one'. If this happens to ANYONE in future I would suggest offering to make a telephone call to the local paper

B

Butti

Nile wrote: »

So there is an irony that in the most important consumer decision we make (see MSE voting guide), frankly anyone could’ve walked in, said they were me and placed my vote.

Regarding security at the polling station............I've seen a porta-loo next to a polling station with a padlock on it..............the loo gets more security than our vote.:eek::rotfl:

The ballot boxes we were using were sealed with a padlock.

B

dzug1

callum9999 wrote: »

(not quite sure how, birth certificate? - not overly secure but its quite hard to steal it from someone),.

It's very very easy to 'steal'. Anyone can buy a copy of anyone's birth certificate from the Registry office

Owain_Moneysaver

KirbyTom wrote: »

I had a postal vote and the only id it asked for there was my DOB and a signature, now unless my signature is on some electronic base (which they aint using) then really i could have asked anyone to fill it out for me, even though they keep on how its a crime for someone else vote. but really how will they know!!

Actually, the postal votes at this election (at least in Scotland) were checked to ensure the sig on the application form corresponded with the sig on the outer envelope of the vote.