BS: UK Postal Voting?

Subject: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 07 May 04 - 01:50 PM

A card dropped through my letterbox this morning bearing info about forthcoming elections.

The local and Euro elections are coming up soon- but what gave me some misgivings -was that these are to be administered by postal voting!.

I wonder if T. Bliar is taking a leaf from his good buddy GWB's book & attempting a 'Florida style' ballot.

[or am I just getting paranoid?]

What think youse?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Gareth
Date: 07 May 04 - 02:08 PM

Hmmm ! - If any UK 'Catters can see away to a significant fiddle on postal voting then I would be very glad to learn it.

At the present elections by purely postal means are being tested in a number of areas.

Elsewhere traditional methods are still being used.

For those who wish a postal vote by inclination the closing time and date for applications, unsuported by a medical certificate is 1600hrs 2nd June 2004.

Postal vote application forms are available from Town Halls, many Post Offices, or the "Electoral Commision", or here.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 May 04 - 02:40 PM

If this is the same as "absentee ballots" in the U.S., I've been doing that for years. Granted, this could probably be cobbled just as easily as any other method, but I have a whole lot more confidence in it than I do in "touchscreen" voting the way it's been constituted so far. At the very least, I like to see a piece of paper with my votes on it. E-mail seems to work nicely, but I'm just a bit leery of "vapor voting."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Cllr
Date: 07 May 04 - 07:11 PM

Its not the postal voting it is the fact that the Euro elections are bsed on a type of PR (proportional representation) The list system is being introduced so that when local accountability is taken away by haveing regional elections the precedent will already have been set to have it done under PR.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Gareth
Date: 07 May 04 - 07:27 PM

Err ! - Cllr - So far the demographic returns indicate that where Postal Voting is encouraged turn out goes up to about (circa) 75% of those entitled to vote by post.

I can appreciate why the Conservative and Unionist Party do not like Postal Voting.

(BTW Neither do the Nationalists)

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 08 May 04 - 07:13 AM

Don't be afraid. Just follow the continental ways.
Having worked at poll stations in my home town in Germany for about 30 years, I have no bad experiences about postal voting. As a head of a poll station for more than 15 years I really can't understand how a "Florida style ballot" was possible.
Over here it is impossible due to strong regulations. People travelling or being sick during the ballot have to apply for the documents necessary for postal voting; they have to send in their votes that they reach the urns before the deadline which is 15:00 sharp on voting day. At this time the poll stations for postal votes are sealed, and it's rien ne va plus.
After opening the letters the documents are checked, and if they are correct, the vote in a special sealed enveloppe is thrown into the urn.
The urns are opened after the usual closing like in the other poll stations and the votes are counted.
Any postal vote arriving after the deadline is lost - bad luck for the voter. He or she should have been more diligent and sent the vote in due time, considering the time postal service needs to transport the letter.

Wilfried (having served in a postal voting poll station more than once)

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: gnomad
Date: 08 May 04 - 07:50 AM

The main snags in postal voting that I envisage are twofold:

1) Delivery of ballot papers to the voter. Post Office loses an astonishing amount of mail en route, and houses in multiple occupancy present a particular problem.

2) Voting needs to be done ahead of poll day. This means that information/persuasion in the last few days is unlikely to be taken into account.

As neither of the above will skew matters in a party political sense (all parties being equally disadvantaged) and the turnout is generally held to be more likely to increase under an all-postal system I think that on balance it is probably a good idea.

I have had a postal vote myself, by choice, for some time. It certainly helps for those who work far from home, or odd hours.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Arnie
Date: 08 May 04 - 08:03 AM

Local Government has been emasculated by this Gov't and has very few powers remaining. Where they have the exercise of discretion, the councillors usually completely ignore the wishes of the local community who elected them - following the party line means more to these self-important types than representing their ward. The EU is a non-democratic institution with MEP's only concerned about how to fiddle their expenses to earn mega-bucks paid for by the 'electorate'. I've just become totally disillusioned with the exercise of our so-called democratic institutions - voting for those on the Euro gravy-train only invests them with the credibility that they crave.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Postal Voting?
From: Cllr
Date: 08 May 04 - 01:22 PM

Gareth old bean I wasn't complaining about postal voting I think it is a good thing My comment was aimed at something I think is more important, the gradual introduction of the list system. I am in favour of mechanisms that encourage people to vote. cllr