Elections in the UK.

I've asked these questions before and never got good answers. Done some research and I think I have a good idea, but I wanted to ask residents there.

How many days are your polls open?

Do you have to show an ID to vote?

Who are allowed to have mail in ballots?

Maddog wrote:I've asked these questions before and never got good answers. Done some research and I think I have a good idea, but I wanted to ask residents there.

How many days are your polls open?

Do you have to show an ID to vote?

Who are allowed to have mail in ballots?

open for one day from about 8.00am to 9.00pm

i've taken ID but not needed to show it. i stated my name and address and they just crossed me off one of their lists. it does make it open to corruption because i could have got round there to vote and found my name had already been crossed off and someone else took my vote (that's never happened though)

As far as I'm aware, everyone now has the right to postal ballots, again open to corruption that we have already had


could be wrong but that's my understanding

gelico wrote:

Maddog wrote:I've asked these questions before and never got good answers. Done some research and I think I have a good idea, but I wanted to ask residents there.

How many days are your polls open?

Do you have to show an ID to vote?

Who are allowed to have mail in ballots?

open for one day from about 8.00am to 9.00pm

i've taken ID but not needed to show it.  i stated my name and address and they just crossed me off one of their lists.  it does  make it open to corruption because i could have got round there to vote and found my name had already been crossed off and someone else took my vote (that's never happened though)

As far as I'm aware, everyone now has the right to postal ballots, again open to corruption that we have already had


could be wrong but that's my understanding

So polls aren't open for two weeks?

No drive through polls?

No 24 hour polling stations weeks before election day?

Are the expansions to mail in voting a temporary issue because of covid?

This whole thread is WHATABOUTISM: What about the UK polls? To compromise the right to vote is akin to compromising the right to life. It happens easily in an autocracy, but in a democracy it is too precious. If the UK is autocratic, so be it...I'm more concerned about home.

It would be more productive to go directly to the point: (1) what is accomplished by increasing the period that polls are open, (2) what is the purpose of id's, and (3) what is wrong with mail-in ballots?

Overriding all of this is the question: what is the incidence of wrongful voting? Normally, necessity precedes invention. If there is not a problem, why go to the effort? And please, no sob stories to stoke the passions...it's a simple statistical question.

We are talking about denying people their voting rights in a democracy…rights at least as important (if not more) as privacy rights, or gun rights. On a cost/benefit basis, if wrongful voting doesn't happen frequently, it's not worth the loss over excluding even one lawful vote.

Someone sounds angry.

I'm interested in discussing this with people in the UK..

Maddog wrote:

gelico wrote:

Maddog wrote:I've asked these questions before and never got good answers. Done some research and I think I have a good idea, but I wanted to ask residents there.

How many days are your polls open?

Do you have to show an ID to vote?

Who are allowed to have mail in ballots?

open for one day from about 8.00am to 9.00pm

i've taken ID but not needed to show it.  i stated my name and address and they just crossed me off one of their lists.  it does  make it open to corruption because i could have got round there to vote and found my name had already been crossed off and someone else took my vote (that's never happened though)

As far as I'm aware, everyone now has the right to postal ballots, again open to corruption that we have already had


could be wrong but that's my understanding

So polls aren't open for two weeks?

No drive through polls?

No 24 hour polling stations weeks before election day?

Are the expansions to mail in voting a temporary issue because of covid?

Mail in voting is open to anyone in the UK and has been for years I think.

No ID needed for walk in voting.

Eilzel wrote:

Maddog wrote:

So polls aren't open for two weeks?

No drive through polls?

No 24 hour polling stations weeks before election day?

Are the expansions to mail in voting a temporary issue because of covid?

Mail in voting is open to anyone in the UK and has been for years I think.

No ID needed for walk in voting.

How do you get a mail in ballot?

Are they just shipped out en mass, or do you request one?.

gelico wrote:

Maddog wrote:I've asked these questions before and never got good answers. Done some research and I think I have a good idea, but I wanted to ask residents there.

How many days are your polls open?

Do you have to show an ID to vote?

Who are allowed to have mail in ballots?

open for one day from about 8.00am to 9.00pm

i've taken ID but not needed to show it.  i stated my name and address and they just crossed me off one of their lists.  it does  make it open to corruption because i could have got round there to vote and found my name had already been crossed off and someone else took my vote (that's never happened though)

As far as I'm aware, everyone now has the right to postal ballots, again open to corruption that we have already had


could be wrong but that's my understanding

I took my mom and neighbor to the polls about 10 years ago. They went to vote, and they pulled their names up and said they already voted absentee (mail in). At the time I chalked it up to their age.  They claimed they didn't already vote, but I was in a hurry and told them it appeared they did.  

Upon further reflection, I should have dug in my heels and demanded some sort of proof that they voted..

I mean what's the chance they both voted and forgot?

Maddog wrote:Someone sounds angry.  

Not angry, but analytical.  It may be confusing to southerners, who confuse anger with reason.  In fact, take notes is you wish.

Maddog wrote:I'm interested in discussing this with people in the UK..

I'm interested in discussing this with anyone, without censorship or exclusion.  It's a US site, and the US is a free country.  The more we can disseminate information, and apply logic, the more we become informed and so the better citizens we become for our respective nations.