Plan To Prevent Voting Fraud

[Khandro]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38440934
And about time too wouldn't you say?

[ToraToraTora]

good idea khandro but what are they going to do about postal voting? That's the main area for fraud.

[naomi24]

^Good question.

[rockyracoon]

Whilst I agree with this in principle, what about people that don't drive or have a passport. How much is the government going to charge them to get appropriate ID to enable them to vote. A utilty bill will be a non starter, it does not prove identity at all.

[Zacs-Master]

From the article:

As well as the trials, election officials and police will be given new powers to tackle intimidation of voters by activists, who will also be banned from collecting postal votes for submission - a practice known as "harvesting".

There will also be reforms to improve the security of the postal ballot system, such as requiring postal voters to re-apply every three years.

[ichkeria]

N Ireland introduced this years ago.
I notice this is only a trial.
It always amazes me that we don't have a securer system.

[ichkeria]

Yes postal voting needs looking at. Basically anything which allows electors to be "got at" in advance.

[EDDIE51]

Every elector has a unique number that is crossed off the register when they turn up to vote. You can only vote once per number.
OK so someone could pretend to be someone else as proof is not asked for.
But if another person turned up and gave a number or name that had already been crossed off the list, it would be obvious that there was an attempt at deception. I just don't see this as a large problem. Postal or proxy votes are the main problem.

[ichkeria]

I agree Eddie, but "personation" as it is called was a problem in N Ireland for many years, and it is certainly an issue worth trying to comnat I would have thought.

[dannyk13]

TTT, postal voting mentioned at bottom of article.

[Zacs-Master]

As I pointed out. Tora is famous for not reading past the headlines.

[naomi24]

I saw that, but re-applying every three years won't ensure security and I assumed that's what TTT meant.

[Zacs-Master]

What other measures would you like to see put in place?

[mikey4444]

There must be lots of people who don't drive, or don't have a passport.

So, if this is going to work, then National ID cards would seem to be the answer.

Of course, we could start by demanding that voting cards are compulsory.

No extra costs involved.

[naomi24]

Who are you talking to?

[Zacs-Master]

You.

[naomi24]

Dunno. I'll think about it.

[Khandro]

When ID cards were floated last it was thrown out by the Lib Dems within the coalition, not having a valid form of ID is plain madness. Postal voting has been abused everywhere and for too long, it should be limited to the armed forces overseas and people who simply cannot be in the country.
The right to vote is a most fundamental right in a democracy and people who make lame excuses like they cannot drive or don't have a passport, do not deserve that precious right.

[THECORBYLOON]

What about folk who are too ill or infirm to make it to the ballot box?

[bhg481]

Khandro - Why should my neice, who has lost the ability to drive and travel long distances due to spinal problems, be denied the right to vote?

[chiaroscuro]

bhg481

Is your niece housebound? Does she never go out, or be taken out at all? If the answer is 'yes' then she certainly deserves a postal vote but if she manages to get to social functions the answer is 'no'.