A Secret Ballot?

[brainiac]

Two things struck me today when voting. The first is that you do not require any ID to vote, so could give the name of anyone in your constituency if you know their name and address.
More importantly, after you give your name, they look you up on a list of those entitled to vote, and against your name there is a number. That number (say, 729) is then written on the ballot paper - so the vote is compromised, as someone could go through the votes and find out how 729 - me- voted. Not a secret ballot!

[ToraToraTora]

who said it was a secret ballot?

[jourdain2]

I helped out locally in a ballot, years ago. It was perfectly possible to work out who had voted for what.

[Zacs-Master]

TTT, you remind me of a robot who's been fed some inform it can't process. "Does not compute, does not compute, doe....s....not...compyooooo...

[brainiac]

TTT, of course it's meant to be a secret ballot! It's what our democracy is based on, and what people have fought and died for.

[ToraToraTora]

well it's never been secret in reality.

[Zacs-Master]

North Korea will welcome you with open arms Tora if you think they have a better system.

[DTCwordfan]

Again, a case to move to New Zealand, or maybe China?

[Mamyalynne]

Some info to read through here :

http://aceproject.org/electoral-advice/archive/questions/replies/912993749

[Bertrum]

A balance between secrecy and security

[ToraToraTora]

hang on how did we get from a non secret ballot to North Korea! A blind man could see our ballots are not secret and I'm not saying that's wrong, I was just addressing the original post.

[Zacs-Master]

Just suggesting your ideology may be better suite to a more structured political system. You know.....one where you can predict the result.

[ToraToraTora]

what's my ideology? oh yes wanting to be run by our own elected leaders not our foriegn enemies aided by hoards of collaborators.

[Zacs-Master]

'Hoards' 'collaborators'. You really need to change your political language old chap.

[brainiac]

Interesting link, Mamya, as so often. I fully understand the need to have mechanisms in place to prevent fraud, and the Canadian system of only having the serial number only on the counterfoil - not the actual ballot paper - would be a much more satisfactory solution.

[Zacs-Master]

Surely the more traceable a ballot paper is the more it PREVENTS fraud. Would be simple to take a random 100 papers and ask the voters how they voted.

[ToraToraTora]

ZM - my terminology may be unpalatable to some but it is accurate.

[Zacs-Master]

Only in your warped mind.

[DTCwordfan]

TTT, night from a traitor, don't take this ragging of you too seriously.

[Zacs-Master]

Oh no....please do!

[ToraToraTora]

if you think I take any of you treacherous popinjays seriously then think again.