General Election - Voting - Secret Ballot?

[Barquentine]

I've noticed the electoral officers at the Polling Station have my Poll Card reference number on their list of voters. BUT - that same number is also on the BALLOT PAPER they give me. How on earth can this be a secret ballot when anyone with sufficient motive can look up who I voted for?

[Gromit]

The box is locked. After your vote goes in, no one at the Polling Station sees it. The people who see your number on your card, are different from the people who count your vote.

[Mosaic]

I think the two sets of papers are kept separate. The officers just tick off who's voted on an electoral roll list. The ballot papers are closely guarded in their locked boxes, which are tipped out in front of the counting people and counted.
The counting people are closely scrutinised by volunteers from each party whose agenda is to make sure none of theirs gets accidentally put on an opponents pile.
Then when the vote has been settled the papers are destroyed.

[tonyav]

The voting papers are destroyed after 12 months.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-explained-voting-10227175.html

[Barquentine]

Different people count the votes.....two sets of papers are kept separate....not very re-assuring! Anyone with sufficient motive can get access to both sets of information and match them up. Does anyone really rely on Electoral Commission assurances given the vote-rigging they have turned a blind eye to in Tower Hamlets and elsewhere?

[Cloverjo]

I brought this up here the other day. I share your concerns.
Here is the link to my thread
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Culture/Question1417910-1.html
Naomi's reply ( at, I think 1747) gives a link to a site where other people have told of their worries of breaches of security.