No election decision for me

[Lateral-G]

Can anyone tell me how a vote/polling card is assigned to a person, and why it is not assigned to a valid national insurance number?

The reason i ask is because i moved house 7 months ago, from sharing with a friend (whose partner has since moved in with him) into a shared house, I am on the electoral role at my new address, yet when my friend brought some mail round to me, there was a polling card for my old (his) address, he has said that he updated his household information months ago by post, removing me and adding his partner and i have no reason not to believe him, yet i also have a valid polling card in my name for my new address, the only difference is that one has my middle initial in my name and one does not, which, as i see it, gives me TWO valid polling cards in my name. Is election fraud really that easy and how many other people in the country have found themselves in this position?

[Lateral-G]

Oh, and if any political party wants to make me an offer of my spare vote, cash, pay-pal and Stella artois are all accepted!

[Kermit power]

It doesn't even have to happen by accident! According to Radio 4 this morning, you can be registered to vote in more than one constituency. It's only fraud if you actually vote more than once.

[Lateral-G]

That means the potential of having an invalid election is massive! With the names on the polling cards being slightly different (but both correct) who would notice if i did use both and how would they cross check or prove it? And what could be done across the country by a group who were intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election (say a militant arm of the monster raving looney party), or is it just assumed that any duplicated votes would be too small in number to make any real difference to the outcome, so why worry about it?

Which brings me back to my initial question, would allocating a vote to a national ins number, rather than just a name and address not be a wise move?

[wiggy001]

I posted on this yesterday as I am in a similar position except that I was never registered to vote at the old address where I also received a polling card (I only live there for a month, didn't even change my bank etc to that address).

[funkyrobot]

I moved address a few months ago and now have two polling cards. One is for my new address and one for my old. Shame that they 25 miles apart!!

[randlemarcus]

Lateral-G said:

Which brings me back to my initial question, would allocating a vote to a national ins number, rather than just a name and address not be a wise move?

National Insurance numbers are not a 1:1 relationship and are a fairly compromised source of identity. You can get a shiny new one, and then both of the numbers relate to you, as well as them being given out like sweeties on demand. Not a great idea.