Voting

[Workingman]

Not rising to the bait WM.

Damn and blast!

[Workingman]

I have no photo ID

Shell, get a Voter Authority Certificate. Take a selfie against a plain background then go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-v ... ertificate and fill in the details. Make sure you know your NI number. Takes a few minutes at most.

[miasmum]

Brilliant thank you I will do that

[TheOstrich]

We've had postal votes for at least 10 years, I reckon. Previously, it got to the stage that Mrs O would never accompany me to the voting booths because I used to get belligerent with the party workers who would ask you who you were when you left the polling station. Violation of privacy in my book.

Mind you, my Mum, back in Lancashire, always used to accept the Conservative Party candidate's offer of a car ride in a swanky car to the polling station. She'd then vote Labour ....

[cromwell]

There is nothing wrong with postal voting per se. But imo it needs to be regulated more vigorously.

Os!

[Kaz]

Mind you, my Mum, back in Lancashire, always used to accept the Conservative Party candidate's offer of a car ride in a swanky car to the polling station. She'd then vote Labour ....

My Nan used to do that

[Workingman]

Bringing this up again because the media is playing the 'fear of losing your vote' card. It is nonsense and the journalists reporting it should be challenged and shamed.

Today the claim is that one in four voters do not know that photo ID is now needed. This is absolute nonsense in order to promote all the "anti-democracy" claims.

I have my poll card in front of me and the first thing it says is a shaded banner in a large typeface bold type:"YOU MUST BRING PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION TO VOTE". The card then gives my details and instructions about where to vote and between which times. Then there is another shaded banner saying: "You do not need to take this card with you in order to vote, but you do need to take photographic identification (see overleaf for more information).

Once overleaf there is a list of 21 acceptable forms of photo ID - yes, 21!!!

Anybody who has registered to vote and has received a poll card (just about everyone intending to by now) knows all about the need for photo ID. To claim that 25% do not know is propaganda and a lie.

However, there is a difference between not knowing and not having relevant photo ID, but there again the poll card has instructions the very few in that situation can take as per: "If you do not possess any of the above forms of photographic identification, you can apply to your local Electoral Registration Officer for a free Voter Authority Certificate. Completed applications must reach us by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023."

The very last thing on the card is ashaded banner in bold type which says this: "No ID? You can apply fora free Voter Authority Certificate at http://www.gov.uk.voting'id or call 0113 xxxxxxx to request a paper application form. You can also apply in person at any Community Hub or Library. Apply by the deadline - 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023."

Nobody, absolutely nobody who wants to vote, does not know about photo ID or how to get one.

[Suff]

Bringing this up again because the media is playing the 'fear of losing your vote' card. It is nonsense and the journalists reporting it should be challenged and shamed.
Nobody, absolutely nobody who wants to vote, does not know about photo ID or how to get one.

Unless the person can't read of course...

In the US they did this, id required, tens of thousands turned up to vote with no id and no way of proving who they were. Then the result was delayed for those states until they verified every person who wanted to vote. They are very particular about ensuring that if you actually turn up to vote your vote is counted. Even if you don't/can't read the blurb which tells you to get an id to vote.

In the UK this 25% BS is simply scaremongering. We need to tighten up the vote as it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is being gamed in some areas. Any step to do this will always be met with resistance. As much from the pressure groups who want an ID card as for those who don't want any of this identity stuff.

There will, however, be people who turn up without the correct ID to vote and the press will be there to count every single one of them 1,000 times.

[cromwell]

Imo postal voting in this country is wide open to fraud; and deliberately so.

[Workingman]

All forms of voting are open to abuse unless there are checks and balances in place. Up until now the UK has had very few so photo ID is a start that negatively affects virtually nobody.

And IMO postal voting shold only be allowed in a very few, and provable, extreme circumstances. It should never be purely for convenience to aid the lazy, but that is what it has largely become.