Quote:
Originally Posted by Gayle
1. - postal/proxy votes - people can be assisted with their vote. Let's just say for example that the person is vulnerable, blind or illiterate, their vote could easily be mis-used.
2. - at the polling booth - some parties sit outside the polling booth and mark down on the electoral register who has been to vote. They also know from previous electoral registers who has never voted before. Let's just say for example that I know for certain that a person who lives in one ward never votes and the chances of them turning up with their card to vote are 1 in a million - someone whose face is unknown could simply turn up at the polling station without a polling card and claim to be someone else.
3. at the count - votes for each person are counted into 50's and bundled. Let's just say I was one of the counters and I had a particular leaning, it wouldn't be too hard to hide some votes within bundles for the opposing candidate.
|
I agree with you entirely Gayle, especially about postal/proxy votes and your point 2. In 2006, when you stood for election there was a recount in Immanuel ward, when it was found that some of the ballot papers had been put in the wrong bundle of 50. At the counts in 2007 and 2008 the bundles have been doubled checked by the returning officer before the results have been declared.
Also as Jaysay has said, each party has Counting Agents, who are there to make sure that none of their parties votes get mixed in with an opposing candidates. In 2006, I was the election agent for the Labour Party candidate for the Clayton-le-Moors ward (Tim O'Kane). Because one of the Oswaldtwistle wards had already been counted on the table previously, there were several Tory Counting agents sat at the table, who did not move, so it was very difficult for any of the Labour (or Indpendent) Counting agents to see the ballots papers clearly. But in 2007 and 2008 each ward has had its own table allocated from the start so the Counting Agents know where to go and sit when they walk into the room.