Postal votes 'wide-open to fraud'

[muriel_volestrangler]

The judge in a vote-rigging trial says the postal voting system is "wide open to fraud" and has strongly attacked the government's attitude to the problem.

Richard Mawrey QC was speaking as he ruled there had been "widespread fraud" in six Birmingham council seats won last year by Labour.

He accused the government of being not only complacent, but "in denial", about the failings of the system.
...
"Short of writing 'Steal Me' on the envelopes, it is hard to see what more could be done to ensure their coming into the wrong hands," Mr Mawrey added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4408101.stm

[fedsron2us]

1. New Labour's attempts to introduce all postal ballots

in some areas during the last set of local elections must rank as one of their worst policy decisions. It was just an invitation to fraud particularly in council elections where a few hundred votes may be more than enough to win a seat. Personally, I think postal ballots should be restricted to those who are simply too infirm to vote in person. All the rest of the population should be forced to get off their arses and walk to the polling station to cast a paper ballot. It is the simplest, fairest and least corruptible system.

[aneerkoinos]

2. Invitation to fraud

Umm, never crossed my mind that the invitation could be given on purpose, no sir! ;)

And of course Labour has not rigged the system so that it will have majority even if it comes second in votes by a small margin, following perfectly honest and OK democratic tradition!

I'm not familiar with the details of UK system, but I know it is perfectly possible to create a system for postal ballots that is not an invitation to fraud, but to make voting easier. It's also possible to build a functional representative democratic system, if that should be desirable. It seldom is for those in power.

[fedsron2us]

5. Yes, a fraud proof postal voting system is feasible

Unfortunately, events in Birmingham show that the one instigated by the current Labour government do not fall into that category. As the judge said the ballot papers may as well had 'Steal Me' written on them so lax was the security. Britain is a small country and the vast majority of the population live in urban areas within easy walking distance of a polling station. Politics should not be viewed as just another consumer experience to be made as passive and unchallenging as possible. It should involve active participation. Otherwise real democracy withers and dies.

[T_i_B]

3. I agree with you 100%

Just by the by, are they planning on more postal voting on May 5th?

[fedsron2us]

6. It is estimated that 15% of the votes on May 5th will be by post

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4413337.stm

Because of the size of Parliamentary constituencies and the nature of our first past the post electoral system I expect that voting fraud will be pointless in 95 % of constituencies because it would be necessary to fill in thousands of ballot papers to have any impact on the result. However, if the election is close and the decision hangs on small majorities in one or two key marginals then I think voting fraud may become an issue. Do not be surprised if some of the political parties end up consulting 'my learned friends' to see if the results can be over turned in court. My personal view is that this particular experiment is just another of Blair' ill considered policies . It is typical of New Labour to see voting as needing 'modernising' so that it more closely resembles the populaces other consumer activities. It is just another example of the ersatz democracy and phoney populism that seems to have replaced the genuine idealism that was once prevalent in this once great party. I hope the subject comes back to bite Blair in the arse.

[non sociopath skin]

4. Call me old-fashioned but I hate postal voting.

Walking to the polling station is one of the few times when I feel like an active citizen. Yes, postal votes for those who genuinely need them only.

The Birmingham Scam is an abuse of democracy and a gift to the far-right.

The Skin

[T_i_B]

7. How easy is it to obtain 11 postal ballots?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/01/npost01.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/05/01/ixportal.html

It was frighteningly easy. Within five days I was able to obtain postal ballot papers enabling me to vote 11 times in the general election - and in county council elections on the same day. No checks, no questions asked. I could, if I chose to, vote this week for candidates in areas ranging from London to York and from East Sussex to Cornwall.

Obtaining the ballot papers was simple. The first step was to download and print out application forms for postal votes from the website of the Electoral Commission.

Then they were filled in with names and addresses taken from the electoral roll and a request for the ballot papers be sent to a second address, in south-west London. The forms were completed with a forged signature and sent to electoral registration offices at the local council in the voters' constituencies.

Within days I received letters confirming that a postal vote had been granted. The ballot papers containing the lists of election candidates arrived over the next few days. Officials made no attempt to contact people at either address on the application form.

[D-Notice]

8. "Vote early! Vote often!"

[T_i_B]

9. I have only used a postal vote once

It was the European elections of 1999 and even then it was obvious that I could have voted more than once if I so wished. I will be using the old fashioned polling station this time round of course. At least that way it's a proper secret ballot.

The only question now is whether or not to wear a clothes peg on my nose on May 5th.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Postal voting chaos claims in South Wales

MORE people have come forward to expose the voting "chaos" that threatens to jeopardise next week's election.

They have all received postal votes even though they claim they never applied for them.
...
Yet a check with Bridgend council's electoral office revealed her whole family has apparently applied to vote by post.

"That's very peculiar," she said. "I have never applied for a postal vote."

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/newspolitics/tm_objectid=15462888&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=postal-voting-chaos-claims-in-south-wales-name_page.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Evidence mounts of postal vote rigging

Yesterday, when asked why nine votes were sent to his terraced home in the Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency, Mohammed Akram claimed he was helping four of his neighbours. “They can’t read or write English,” he said. “I’ll take it round and help them. I put my address there (on the application form) by mistake.”

However, two of the people whose votes have been sent to Akram’s address said they had no idea this had happened.
...
# In Blackburn, the marginal constituency of Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, Labour party members have been accused of collecting postal ballots from a derelict property.

# In Bethnal Green and Bow, London, people claimed they had been sent postal ballots without requesting them

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-523-1592902-1187,00.html