ID when Voting

[Gullywog]

why are you not asked to provide proof of identification when voting.

I was thinking it anyway, as anyone could technically vote on your behalf, and in light of this...

BBC News - Lancashire teenager voted 'to make a difference'

...it just seems ridiculous not to produce ID for something as serious as a General Election.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I used my dad's polling card when I was 17!

 

[Lush]

I am never surprised that kids are sent polling cards. Mainly because people don't read the form properly and think they have to list all the children in their household, not just the ones who are over 17.

 

[northstandnorth]

as lush said,the only reason these stories come up every election is because stupid parents cant fill a form in correctly.

 

[beorhthelm]

you should at least have to produce a polling card or proof of address or name. dont know how you check for age, i'd rather have a few underage kids engage in politics than worry about it too far.

 

[sir danny cullip]

I registered in a new constituency this time round and walked into the polling station and voted by just giving my name and address, anyone who knew me could have cast my vote!

 

[Acker79]

I believe the theory is all about us having the power. An election is about the people exercising their right, their power to choose who they want to represent them. The people's power.

If we have to prove who we are, show ID etc, that power is taken away from us, we are exercising a privilege, guarded by whoever wants to check id.



What are the options with IDs, the only acceptable form of id is an expensive one that only the rich can get thus altering the voting demographic? If the id is so cheap and easily available so as everyone can afford it, it becomes so cheap and easily available that it's about as legitimate as someone writing their own name on a piece of paper and using that.

Compulsory ID? That's not exactly being embraced at the moment, is it?

 

[Bluejuice]

I don't wish to be registered on the electoral roll as unfortunately it's not difficult to come by for outside parties.

However, thankfully, the chap who used to live in my flat didn't bother to update the powers that be and I used his polling card to register my vote

 

[sjamesb3466]

I believe the idea is that its meant to be a secret ballot therefore by showing ID you are somehow confirming your identity and your vote is no longer secret I dunno, thats my guess anyway!

 

[surrey jim]

I don't wish to be registered on the electoral roll as unfortunately it's not difficult to come by for outside parties.

However, thankfully, the chap who used to live in my flat didn't bother to update the powers that be and I used his polling card to register my vote

Im sure there was an option to be on the VR but for it not to be public - Not being on the VR atall at a property can also harm your credit score!

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I believe the theory is all about us having the power. An election is about the people exercising their right, their power to choose who they want to represent them. The people's power.

If we have to prove who we are, show ID etc, that power is taken away from us, we are exercising a privilege, guarded by whoever wants to check id.



What are the options with IDs, the only acceptable form of id is an expensive one that only the rich can get thus altering the voting demographic? If the id is so cheap and easily available so as everyone can afford it, it becomes so cheap and easily available that it's about as legitimate as someone writing their own name on a piece of paper and using that.

Compulsory ID? That's not exactly being embraced at the moment, is it?

Surely everyone has a passport?

I think voting is not just a right. It's also a responsibility.

 

[Acker79]

Surely everyone has a passport?

No. They don't. Some because they don't need it because they can't afford/have no desire/have yet to go abroad.

I think voting is not just a right. It's also a responsibility.

Agreed.

 

[nwgull]

I believe the idea is that its meant to be a secret ballot therefore by showing ID you are somehow confirming your identity and your vote is no longer secret I dunno, thats my guess anyway!

that wouldn't be the reason as they cross your name though on the list when you come to vote so it's possible to see who has and hasn't voted. It's still as secret ballot as there's obviously no way of identifying who has voted for who. I have to admit that I too was surprised that, even though I didnt have a polling card, I was able to vote by jut giving my name and address and them cross this off their list!

 

[beorhthelm]

I don't wish to be registered on the electoral roll as unfortunately it's not difficult to come by for outside parties.

However, thankfully, the chap who used to live in my flat didn't bother to update the powers that be and I used his polling card to register my vote

so you are commiting electoral fraud?

 

[Screaming J]

You don't need a polling card. You just have to state your name and address. If you give a false name and address you are - in reality - committing an offence. In theory the people working at the Polling Stations are meant to formally ask you your name and address. If they did this properly the queues woud be even worse than at was at some places on Thursday night and even more people wouldn't have been able to vote. Therefore the polling station staff often tend to just rely on people bringing their polling cards and ticking the number off on the list. When it gets really busy that's all you can do if the system isn't to clog up completely - I know, I work at a polling station at most elections! Sometimes you hardly have time to look up which is presumably how that 14 year old slipped through the net. There but for the grace of god went I.

There are a myriad of problems with this system:-

(a) people fill in the electoral registration forms (which come round each year) wrong
(b) for a variety of reasons people don't complete and/or return registration forms at all (ignorance, illiteracy in English, principled objections to form filling, whatever) and these aren't followed up
(c) people think that because the Council cops you for Council tax each year you are automatically on the register - you aren't.
(d) administration and updating of the electoral roll at some Council's isn't....err..... as effiecient as it should be (to put it politely); we always pick up errors which people tell us about. You pass these on but whether they are acted upon; I don't know.
(e) even the printing of election forms is fraught with danger. The ones we had to dish out were appallingly perforated on Thursday and we spent ages trying to tear them off properly so they wouldn't be treated as 'spoilt' when they did the count later in the evening. Nightmare; causing even more queues.

There; that's probably more about running a polling station than anyone ever wanted to know about on NSC! I'll get my anorak!