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Warning over anti-fraud measures for next election

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Published Date: 27 October 2009
By Joe Churcher
MEASURES aimed at preventing fraud at polling stations must be improved before the next General Election.
A report by the Electoral Commission into June's Euro elections reveals that one in five returning officers were failing to meet standards.

A total of 73 local officers missed their targets for "identifying and managing the risk of electoral malpractice".

Most fell short because they had no formal written plans in place to tackle the issue.

The commission warned that urgent action was required to prepare properly for the next Westminster poll, which must be held by June of next year.

And a checklist of measures has been sent to town halls with a directive that they should be in place for the election.

Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, said: "I'm very glad that the June 2009 elections were, on the whole, a success. But a General Election is different. It needs to be organised in a much shorter period of time.

It also poses more challenges than those elections held this summer and there is no room for complacency."





Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 26 October 2009 8:37 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Cynicus Unbound,

26/10/2009 23:40:09
A total of 73 local officers missed their targets for "identifying and managing the risk of electoral malpractice".


CONCLUSION: Don't write off Macavity's chances yet.
2

,

27/10/2009 00:32:19
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

redcliffe62,

27/10/2009 00:43:40
moral of the story; if you are going to fake the result of an election do it subtly.
karzai found faking 30% of the votes was too many in hindsight so the game was up.
mind, you that was around the same percentage as the likely fraud in glenrothes.
the difference of course was that the votes in kabul could be rechecked for fraud.
4

Gregor Addison,

Glasgow 27/10/2009 00:50:59
Postal votes are one of the biggest areas of concern. Watch the number of postal votes in Glasgow North-East. Will it set a new record?
5

Jimbo2,

27/10/2009 02:36:14
I note that the measures are to prevent fraud at polling stations but no mention of postal ballots, so Labour should still be in with a shout there.

Why are the not being implemented for Glasgow NE. Are Labour worried about the result?
6

Anna nexr door,

27/10/2009 04:12:06
http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Baroness-39claimed-23000039.5764272.jp
7

Linda,

Edinburgh 27/10/2009 07:31:39
Don't let Jim Murphy's Scotland Office near the process.
8

Jings MacCrivvens,

27/10/2009 07:59:42
" MEASURES aimed at preventing fraud at polling stations must be improved before the next General Election "

Many of us have been saying that since the Glenrothes By-election. Note however, no changes to be made before the impending Glasgow NE By-election. Is that because the postal votes have already been counted?
9

TWC,

exLabour 27/10/2009 08:24:01
Personally Iam concerned about postal votes, and I'm not saying anything about Glenrothes.
Poastal voting is open to abuse and needs to be interrogated by sample visiting. Glasgow North is the perfect test for it
10

Alan B,

27/10/2009 11:39:30
We need to take seriously the shambles of our elections. Things that have been happening on a smaller scale previous to the scottish election debacle.

For all the parties seeking our vote, there is next to no education on how to vote, get registered, deal with the shambles that occur.

Hotline numbers to give advice, ensuring that people are autonomatically registered when they are paying council tax, and extending the period by which people can vote. One evening during the working week, giving you only a few hrs is not exactly the way to make it easy to vote.
11

Yeah1,

27/10/2009 14:06:27
#4, #5, #9

"Postal votes are one of the biggest areas of concern."

"I note that the measures are to prevent fraud at polling stations but no mention of postal ballots"

"Personally Iam concerned about postal votes, and I'm not saying anything about Glenrothes."

There is no need to be concerned about postal votes - measures have already been put in place to make postal vote fraud virtually impossible - these measures were put in place BEFORE Glenrothes.

In order to vote by post voters have to:

1. Supply a signature and date of birth when applying for a postal vote, and again when they come to vote
2. These identifiers were checked by the Returning Officer when a postal ballot paper was returned by the voter
3. The Glenrothes returning officer checked 100% of these identifiers

I hope the above measures allay your concerns and make you realise it is now virtually impossible to committ postal vote fraud, and indeed was virtually impossible to do so in Glenrothes.

12

Jimbo2,

27/10/2009 14:26:37
# 11

"I hope the above measures allay your concerns"

Sorry, not when the Labour Party are involved.
13

,

27/10/2009 15:10:16
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
14

TWC,

exLabour 27/10/2009 17:54:34
11 Yeah1,

1. This information is dependent on the original and follow up being completed by the actual voter
2. Unscrupulous people can take advantage of gullible voters by offereing to handle their paper for them.

So I have to say that Postal votes remain a concern for me.

I've even heard opf goups taking the votes and if it was not for their party they just bin them.
15

Gregor Addison,

Glasgow 27/10/2009 20:02:48
#11 Yeah 1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/8266390.stm

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Party-bids-to-sign-backers.5693609.jp

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2533235.0.make_sure_that_your_vote_counts.php
16

Gregor Addison,

Glasgow 27/10/2009 20:10:50
#11 Yeah 1,

The following appeared in the Scotsman, 1 October 2009, entitled "Party bids to sign backers for a postal vote" by Geri Peev:

"LABOUR wants to sign up every supporter to a postal vote ahead of the general election, in a plan that has sparked concern among democracy watchdogs.

The idea is revealed in a secret election handbook obtained by The Scotsman. Postal votes are more susceptible to fraud than poll-booth ones, but Labour's day-to-day election planner reveals a timetable for signing up all possible supporters to vote by post."


I believe there was a four-fold increase in Postal Votes in the Glenrothes by-election. So, as I said, watch the postal votes.

 

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