Making it Easier to Vote

[DynamicSpirit]

This thread is inspired by that this morning I went to the local library to return some books, and found there was a polling station there. Would've made it so convenient to vote then and there - except it wasn't my polling station so I still, after returning home, had to make a separate trip out to go to the 'right' polling station to vote. That got me thinking, how crazy it is that with all our technology we still have a system that requires people to go to one specific polling station not of their choice, even if a different one would be more convenient. Wouldn't it make voting easier if you could just go to any polling station to vote! (May need to be restricted to, any polling station within your constituency/borough/etc. in order to avoid logistical issues with ballot papers being at the wrong counts).

And that made me think more widely, what reforms would you make that would make voting generally more convenient? Any ideas/discussion welcome

 

[spyinthesky]

Polling card with QR code and required ID, vote anywhere in the country.
This may have flaws when not all constituencies are voting and there is no polling station.
Edit - This would require some sort of IT system which we all know how well that works!

 

[ainsworth74]

I remember there being a few elections where there was a polling station in the building that I worked in which I couldn't use as it wasn't my polling station. Somewhat frustrating.

I've thought for a while you should be able to apply to vote at a different polling station if you want to. So everyone is initially assigned a polling station but, subject to capacity at your proposed alternative, you can apply to vote at a different one if you desire to do so.

 

[87 027]

In the early 2000s the place where I lived at the time was part of a trial to make voting in local elections easier. As well as the traditional polling card, you could vote online (which I did), over the telephone, or at internet-connected kiosks situated in various venues around the town, all using unique codes sent with the polling card. It did not improve voter turnout so the experiment wasn't repeated or rolled out more widely.

One issue to consider with online voting is the integrity of the ballot and especially how to counter the possibility of voter manipulation by forcing someone to vote in a particular way under duress. This exists with postal/proxy votes already but online voting potentially magnifies the problem. In the traditional ballot booth no-one is looking over your shoulder and only you know how you really voted, whatever you may tell others...

 

[dangie]

Polling station near to me, not mine unfortunately, has gone from a school to a pub.

 

[ainsworth74]

One issue to consider with online voting is the integrity of the ballot and especially how to counter the possibility of voter manipulation by forcing someone to vote in a particular way under duress. This exists with postal/proxy votes already but online voting potentially magnifies the problem. In the traditional ballot booth no-one is looking over your shoulder and only you know how you really voted, whatever you may tell others...

I'm less concerned, when it comes to online voting, by the manipulation of voters (its as much as a risk with proxy/postal votes I'd have said) but more about issues of security and integrity. I'm far from convinced that we can be certain of our ability to successful implement a system that is definitely secure from foreign (and it's foreign I'd be worried about) interference. I like the idea of just being able to log onto the Government voting portal and register my vote online tucked up in bed, but I'm not convinced that the ease outweighs the security concerns.

 

[dangie]

Little can be much simpler than a postal vote?

 

[Trackman]

deleted

 

[matt]

Is this correct???
I've lost mine, I thought you could just walk in.
Voting later

No it was a suggestion. You do not need your polling card to vote just an acceptable ID

 

[bahnause]

Little can be much simpler than a postal vote?

Spot on. I haven't voted in an election in any other way for 27 years.

 

[Trackman]

No it was a suggestion. You do not need your polling card to vote just an acceptable ID

Yes I know, thanks, I deleted my comment shortly afterwards.
I've actually found it now.

Spot on. I haven't voted in an election in any other way for 27 years.

I've done it once but it 'expired' after the election, but not sure how you do it for all elections. I'm sure I've ticked a box for this. Don't mind walking to the polling station anyway.

 

[75A]

Postal votes are much harder to get here, but I enjoy going as it's a chance to see my neighbours. 30 seconds in the booth (we have a different system to the mainland, i.e 1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice etc) and then an hour talking, putting the world to rights.

 

[Snow1964]

Little can be much simpler than a postal vote?

Unless you live in Yate, where local news is reporting that due to post problems some of the postal votes haven't yet been delivered.

Seems to me the postal vote idea is flawed due to relying on unreliable Royal Mail

 

[DerekC]

Hmm - now in order to see whether an electronic system for registering votes is likely to happen, we have to think whether it will disproportionally benefit or disbenefit one of the two major parties. If it would, then it might happen when that party is in power. On the other hand it's bound to generate conspiracy theories and accusations of electronic gerrymandering, whether or not Mr Putin gets his sticky fingers on the system, so I doubt any politician would be brave enough.

 

[SteveM70]

Unless you live in Yate, where local news is reporting that due to post problems some of the postal votes haven't yet been delivered

I had problems in Calderdale - requested a postal vote as I was going away for 10 days from Friday 26/4, got an acknowledgment saying the postal votes will arrive by 26/4 and only to get in touch if they didn’t arrive by then.

Mine didn’t, so rang the council and was told as I was going away later that day I could go and collect a postal vote pack from an office in Halifax, so had to detour there on my way off on holiday

There’s a learning in there - there’s nothing in the application where you can make clear the date you’re going away from

 

[DelW]

No it was a suggestion. You do not need your polling card to vote just an acceptable ID

For the first time I that can remember, I haven't received a polling card this time, and it was no problem at all - I just gave my name and address and showed ID. Knowing how delayed much of my post is (subscription magazines etc.), it'll probably arrive tomorrow (or next week...).

I'm less concerned, when it comes to online voting, by the manipulation of voters (its as much as a risk with proxy/postal votes I'd have said) but more about issues of security and integrity. I'm far from convinced that we can be certain of our ability to successful implement a system that is definitely secure from foreign (and it's foreign I'd be worried about) interference. I like the idea of just being able to log onto the Government voting portal and register my vote online tucked up in bed, but I'm not convinced that the ease outweighs the security concerns.

Having seen the performance of automated voting systems in the US, from the infamous "hanging chads" onwards, I'm firmly in favour of sticking with pencil and paper!

 

[DarloRich]

Little can be much simpler than a postal vote?

Soulless and unsatisfactory though surely. Reduces it to merely admin . Doesn't feel the same as going to the polling station and doing the business.

 

[HBP]

Soulless and unsatisfactory though surely. Reduces it to merely admin . Doesn't feel the same as going to the polling station and doing the business.

Tend to agree with that. As a postal voter you are never 100% sure it even arrived.

I will continue with the postal vote for now but for the General Election will hand it in personally on the day.

 

[ainsworth74]

Having seen the performance of automated voting systems in the US, from the infamous "hanging chads" onwards, I'm firmly in favour of sticking with pencil and paper!

Though Florida's elections now run incredibly smoothly! I agree the "hanging chads" was utterly shocking but it seems that the States that have got electronic voting machines do a far better job than those that are still using more traditional methods these days. See the torturously long period of time it took some states to count their ballots in 2020 for instance!

Personally speaking I'd go for electronic voting machines that produce a printed ballot which the voter can see, for themselves, has registered their vote correctly and is then deposited in a ballot box. The electronic results are then used to determine the outcome. If there's a question on the electronic count then you can break out all the paper ballots and do a manual count instead the old fashioned way. Maybe throw in a "if the result is within x% there will bee a hand recount" provision if you like. Should capture the advantages of the speed of result of electronic voting in most cases but with the surety that there's a physical paper trail to fall back on in case anyone ever disputes the result and alleges that the machines have been interfered with.

Soulless and unsatisfactory though surely. Reduces it to merely admin . Doesn't feel the same as going to the polling station and doing the business.

Agreed! I did postal voting whilst I was at Uni but upon returning home changed to voting at the polling station. I think the first election that happened after that was for a Police and Crime Commissioner and even though its a complete non-job that should be abolished posthaste I still felt more of a sense of occasion marking that ballot in a polling station rather than the soulless marking of a postal vote that I did for the General Election before it!

 

[Thirteen]

The only issue with voting machines that produces a paper print out is that there is a risk it could run out of paper and also how do you spoil the ballot?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Soulless and unsatisfactory though surely. Reduces it to merely admin . Doesn't feel the same as going to the polling station and doing the business.

That's exactly my feeling. Probably the main reason why I've always gone to the polling station when I could, and would only consider applying for a postal ballot if I knew I was going to be away on polling day.

Personally speaking I'd go for electronic voting machines that produce a printed ballot which the voter can see, for themselves, has registered their vote correctly and is then deposited in a ballot box. The electronic results are then used to determine the outcome. If there's a question on the electronic count then you can break out all the paper ballots and do a manual count instead the old fashioned way. Maybe throw in a "if the result is within x% there will bee a hand recount" provision if you like. Should capture the advantages of the speed of result of electronic voting in most cases but with the surety that there's a physical paper trail to fall back on in case anyone ever disputes the result and alleges that the machines have been interfered with.

Rare complete agreement That's exactly the way I would do electronic voting. You could also always do random manual recounts in a few constituencies selected at random after the election by some non-electronic means, as a way of double checking that the electronic results are fine.

The only thing I'd add would be that, if we ever adopted STV or s similar PR system that allows people to rank in order of preference (which I hope we eventually will do), then electronic voting/counting would become essential if we don't want counts to take days on end.

 

[ainsworth74]

Rare complete agreement

It's an election day miracle

 

[dangie]

Whatever system is used, the ‘problem’ is actually getting people to vote. Making it simple & convenient won’t make a scrap of difference. As it is now, if you want to vote, you will. If you don’t want to vote, or can’t be bothered, you won’t. That will remain the same.

 

[Busaholic]

With the bringing in of compulsory I.D. for elections, even for the ridiculous Crime Commissioners, the trend is to make voting harder, not easier, and thanks to a rare moment of candour from Jacob Rees-Mogg after he ceased to be in a Government position we know it was that Government's intention.