Postal voting

[andrewducker]

[Poll #1562419]

I think that postal voting has real problems - as I've been discussing over here (worth reading the post that's attached to too, it's very interesting).

The basic problem boils down to this - if you're voting from home then there's nothing to stop someone bribing you to vote X, and then sitting behind you while you click the button/write on the form. Similarly, much more social pressure to conform can be exerted. Whereas, if you're voting in a booth then you can say "Yes, I voted X." when actually you voted "Y", no matter how much social pressure is exerted. See The Times article on that link for an example of that kind of pressure being exerted.

Comments

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

I don't know what postal ballots look like, but I think I'd design something that had to be sealed and signed over the seal with large instructions on outside in multiple languages that it should be completed with no-one else in the room and that it's a criminal offence to coerce or bribe anyone else to vote a particular way. Decent verification of signatures needed. Again, not perfect but might cut down on some varieties of fraud.

[andrewducker]

That kind of social pressure can be very effective in the right situation. Good idea!

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

I have in mind something that is folded and one-piece so you can't give someone the ballot and not the envelope.