Is our vote a secret?

[Mart61]

Having just done my duty and cast my vote, I noticed that the staff at the polling station took a note of my ballot card number, then noted the serial number of the ballot paper I was given.

Thinking this was a little odd, I just did a little Googleing and found this:

[I]Q: Why do the staff in the polling station write down my electoral number before they allow me to vote?

A: The law requires every ballot paper to have a unique serial number. The law also requires that a record is kept of the serial number of the ballot paper that is issued to every elector. That is why the staff in the polling station record the serial number of the ballot paper against the electoral number.[/I]

Perhaps our vote isn't actually between us and the ballot box?

[Mark_T]

Relax, nobody will ever know you voted for the Monster Raving Loony Party .. :)

Here's the rest of your answer :

At the close of the poll, documents listing the serial numbers of the ballot papers who they have been issued to are sealed and cannot be opened unless there is a court order to do so.
The reason for this is to enable checks to be carried out should a legal challenge be made about the result of the election.
If such a challenge is successful, the court can order that the ballot papers of any electors who were not eligible to vote be retrieved and their votes discounted, and the result of the election changed to reflect the removal of these votes from the total.
Any legal challenge has to be made within twenty-one days from the date of the election. If no challenge is made all documents are destroyed.

[Mart61]

Ah! I can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that my vote is kinda secret-ish then.

:D

[electricsceadu]

[quote=Mark_T;469843]Relax, nobody will ever know you voted for the Monster Raving Loony Party .. :)


dam i thought i was going to be the only one voting looney

[zoombolt]

My wife works as chief polling clerk & counter. All she's worried about is that there's a glass of chilled wine available for her after a day of pure drivel at 2 am this morning.

Go figure.

[JohnJ]

[quote=electricsceadu;469847][quote=Mark_T;469843]Relax, nobody will ever know you voted for the Monster Raving Loony Party .. :)


dam i thought i was going to be the only one voting looney[/quote]

Well that makes two of us, if we can gather a few more looney followers we could be in with a chance :grouphug::smilielol5:

[MartinH]

Wierd, people dont mind putting big signs outside there house revealing who there voting but they never tell you and sometimes find it rude when you ask them.

[Mart61]

[quote=Satch;469856]Wierd, people dont mind putting big signs outside there house revealing who there voting but they never tell you and sometimes find it rude when you ask them.[/quote]

Well, a few years ago my brother said "yes" to all the parties and had a sign on his property declaring allegiance to them all. And there were only two voters in the house...

:D

[Mike W]

plain and simple for me .. never voted as they all lieing thieving scum so for me none of them lol ....

[robgt]

We all vote loony - they just have different party names is all :D

Cheers,
Rob

[coptermanic]

Where is Dave Such, when we really need him!!!!!!!!!!!!


[ yes, and I know he apparently died a few years ago, but.............]

[chris jones2.4]

you guys shoulda voted green party with everyone going on to electric models now

[Dedcalm]

I chuckle every morning on the way to the M3 where a house has the largest Lib Dem diamond board in his garden - it must be 8 foot accross!!!! ROTFLMAO

[BaRoN30s]

1st time in my life that ive been to vote today..

i dont usually do politics as no matter who friggin wins 1st thing they will do is give themselves a HUGE rise at the cost of the tax payers.....

[Delta7]

Call me a sceptic, but I would bet somewhere someone keeps a record of who you voted for!

No wonder I never had a labour candidate call at my door this year !