Got postal ballot - not mine
Discussion
Today, we had a postal ballot paper delivered to the wrong address (1 letter different in the postcode). The addressee was about 200 yds from my house. 
Now, I'm posting this post-fact. I've already resolved it in (hopefully) a suitable manner!
I delivered the ballot sealed and intact to the addressee, and got them to sign a piece of paper to that effect.
Now, I realize that asking for a signature was probably way over the top, but given the nature of the document, I don't want to be open to allegations of electoral fraud!
Thoughts? Anybody had the same thing happen?
Now, I'm posting this post-fact. I've already resolved it in (hopefully) a suitable manner!
I delivered the ballot sealed and intact to the addressee, and got them to sign a piece of paper to that effect.
Now, I realize that asking for a signature was probably way over the top, but given the nature of the document, I don't want to be open to allegations of electoral fraud!
Thoughts? Anybody had the same thing happen?
Solocle said:
Today, we had a postal ballot paper delivered to the wrong address (1 letter different in the postcode). The addressee was about 200 yds from my house.
Now, I'm posting this post-fact. I've already resolved it in (hopefully) a suitable manner!
I delivered the ballot sealed and intact to the addressee, and got them to sign a piece of paper to that effect.
Now, I realize that asking for a signature was probably way over the top, but given the nature of the document, I don't want to be open to allegations of electoral fraud!
Thoughts? Anybody had the same thing happen?
Seriously?Now, I'm posting this post-fact. I've already resolved it in (hopefully) a suitable manner!
I delivered the ballot sealed and intact to the addressee, and got them to sign a piece of paper to that effect.
Now, I realize that asking for a signature was probably way over the top, but given the nature of the document, I don't want to be open to allegations of electoral fraud!
Thoughts? Anybody had the same thing happen?
You did what any normal, right-thinking person would do, you delivered it to the correct address.
And you got them to sign a "piece of paper to that effect"?
Seriously?
And then you race home to post it on an internet motoring forum?
Sebring440 said:
Seriously?
You did what any normal, right-thinking person would do, you delivered it to the correct address.
And you got them to sign a "piece of paper to that effect"?
Seriously?
And then you race home to post it on an internet motoring forum?
It was several hours ago. I hardly was racing to post it. I just wanted to be legally watertight, seeing the severity of the related offenses. Of course, the mailman doesn't get it signed for, and there will be a register of who has submitted a ballot. But, a situation like this means that in theory, the recipient could submit two votes, then say that they got the envelope open. What would happen in such a scenario? The other option was to return it to the returning officer. Then it takes another few days to get back to somebody just up the road...You did what any normal, right-thinking person would do, you delivered it to the correct address.
And you got them to sign a "piece of paper to that effect"?
Seriously?
And then you race home to post it on an internet motoring forum?
Solocle said:
It was several hours ago. I hardly was racing to post it. I just wanted to be legally watertight, seeing the severity of the related offenses. Of course, the mailman doesn't get it signed for, and there will be a register of who has submitted a ballot. But, a situation like this means that in theory, the recipient could submit two votes, then say that they got the envelope open. What would happen in such a scenario? The other option was to return it to the returning officer. Then it takes another few days to get back to somebody just up the road...
you do know that the signature is checked? so just having the form doesn't allow you to submit someone else's ballot paper!the ballot paper is put in a sealed envelope and that is put in a second envelope with the signed form - as long as the signed form is valid then the ballot paper goes through...
Solocle said:
But, a situation like this means that in theory, the recipient could submit two votes, then say that they got the envelope open. What would happen in such a scenario?
Firstly, the Police would seize the envelope and the ballot form, taking witness statements from everyone with the same post code. The Royal Mail would do an internal investigation and take witness statements from all staff who handled the postal vote. The tracking device embedded on the ballot form would be interrogated (yes, they do have them!) and it's course would be plotted. The ballot form would be fingerprinted, DNA tested and matched to samples collected from you every time a dentist, doctor or optician has ever tested you for anything. Eventually you'd get a very loud knock on the door very early one morning. You'd be arrested, interviewed and (hopefully) bailed pending being charged with election fraud. The Courts take a VERY dim view of this type of thing and even your 'signed letter' from the truthful vote holder wouldn't stop you from doing porridge.be thankful though, because until 2014 this was the only remaining indictable offence that still carried the death sentence.akirk said:
you do know that the signature is checked? so just having the form doesn't allow you to submit someone else's ballot paper!
the ballot paper is put in a sealed envelope and that is put in a second envelope with the signed form - as long as the signed form is valid then the ballot paper goes through...
I've never voted by post, so I didn't know what the procedure involved. I'd have guessed there was some form of fraud prevention, but I couldn't see how that worked with a secret ballot.the ballot paper is put in a sealed envelope and that is put in a second envelope with the signed form - as long as the signed form is valid then the ballot paper goes through...
Solocle said:
akirk said:
you do know that the signature is checked? so just having the form doesn't allow you to submit someone else's ballot paper!
the ballot paper is put in a sealed envelope and that is put in a second envelope with the signed form - as long as the signed form is valid then the ballot paper goes through...
I've never voted by post, so I didn't know what the procedure involved. I'd have guessed there was some form of fraud prevention, but I couldn't see how that worked with a secret ballot.the ballot paper is put in a sealed envelope and that is put in a second envelope with the signed form - as long as the signed form is valid then the ballot paper goes through...
well that is roughly how it works - so two envelopes - one the secret squirrel one which goes into the ballot, and one containing that and the declaration form / d.o.b. / signature / etc. which validates the sealed one - so the council open the outside envelope, check the form is valid and if it is the sealed envelope containing the ballot paper goes into the ballot to be counted... the ballot paper therefore remains anonymous as the two are separated, and the declaration form allows the council to stop one person voting twice...it is rather like turning up at a polling station - you are checked off a list as a valid voter (open the outside envelope and check the declaration paper) and then when you go into the polling station booth and vote that is the confidential / secret bit equivalent to the sealed inner envelope...
so it works basically the same...
You could at least have asked who they were voting for and if it wasn't the Conservatives took it home again and binned it.
The alternative was to just pop it quietly through their letterbox a la the postman, and think no more of it, then we wouldn't be wasting our time discussing it on here.
The alternative was to just pop it quietly through their letterbox a la the postman, and think no more of it, then we wouldn't be wasting our time discussing it on here.
Sebring440 said:
Monkeylegend said:
The alternative was to just pop it quietly through their letterbox a la the postman, and think no more of it, then we wouldn't be wasting our time discussing it on here.
But it's the most exciting thing that's ever happened to him, in like, totally ever!ging84 said:
So if i am understanding this right, the only way you can reliably use someone else's postal vote is to be able to forge thier signature.
And to avoid being accused of election fraud, you asked for the sample of the signature of the person's postal vote you ended up handling
Hit the nail on the head there!And to avoid being accused of election fraud, you asked for the sample of the signature of the person's postal vote you ended up handling
OP if the same thing happens next year, you now have their signature and can vote on their behalf, happy days!
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