Should you be able to vote by text/via the internet?

[Speedy]

It would get more people voting but it could be abused if people get other people's details. Having said that you can sign up as an organ donor by text so it is possible.

I would say it is the way to go.

[fordie2]

How do you stop one person voting several times? Would be far too easy to abuse a text/online system!

[Steve-O]

Pretty sure an online system could be workable.

[ArabHibee]

Stop being a lazy barsteward and get down the polling station! It's no like it's only open 9-5.

Nae excuse not to vote. And if you can't get down the polling station, that's what postal votes are for.

[Hanny]

Stop being a lazy barsteward and get down the polling station! It's no like it's only open 9-5.

Nae excuse not to vote. And if you can't get down the polling station, that's what postal votes are for.

:top marks

[Removed]

Stop being a lazy barsteward and get down the polling station! It's no like it's only open 9-5.

Nae excuse not to vote. And if you can't get down the polling station, that's what postal votes are for.

:hmmm: So what if someone leaves home to travel to work before the polling station opens at 7am and they won't be home before 10pm because the Hibs are playing at Fir Park.

Or are you not going to the game :greengrin

[Beefster]

:hmmm: So what if someone leaves home to travel to work before the polling station opens at 7am and they won't be home before 10pm because the Hibs are playing at Fir Park.

Or are you not going to the game :greengrin

Is it worth the tens of millions of pounds of public money that it will cost to develop, test and implement something that will be inherently open to abuse (postal voting is bad enough), just so that a tiny, tiny number of people who are busy all that day can vote?

I'd rather just have a free pie and bovril at Fir Park.

[Removed]

Is it worth the tens of millions of pounds of public money that it will cost to develop, test and implement something that will be inherently open to abuse (postal voting is bad enough), just so that a tiny, tiny number of people who are busy all that day can vote?

I'd rather just have a free pie and bovril at Fir Park.

Eh, no. But that really wasn't my point :greengrin

[Steve-O]

Such a system would encourage overseas citizens who can't be ersed goin through all the hassle to vote from elsewhere...like me :greengrin

[J-C]

I'm pretty sure they've looked into it and it is viable but too late to introduce for this election. Text and online voting could not be able to be fixed as once you've voted by whatever way you have the computer would then block the same name from doing so again.

[heretoday]

Is it really such a hassle to get down to the polling station? We could even have them open for two or three days, or over a weekend if that makes it easier.

For heavens sake.....

[Steve-O]

Is it really such a hassle to get down to the polling station? We could even have them open for two or three days, or over a weekend if that makes it easier.

For heavens sake.....

Yes :greengrin




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[Peevemor]

Is it really such a hassle to get down to the polling station? We could even have them open for two or three days, or over a weekend if that makes it easier.

For heavens sake.....

All elections in France take place on a Sunday. Seems sensible to me. :dunno:

[lyonhibs]

All elections in France take place on a Sunday. Seems sensible to me. :dunno:

No wonder participation rates are higher - it's not like they've got anything else to do on a Sunday is it?? :devil:

It's true though - another case of people adhering stringently to tradition for no other reason than apparent sheer bloody mindedness.

[Beefster]

I'm pretty sure they've looked into it and it is viable but too late to introduce for this election. Text and online voting could not be able to be fixed as once you've voted by whatever way you have the computer would then block the same name from doing so again.

The problem isn't with multiple votes from one voter. It's about dummy voters being set up, one person controlling the votes of countless people and so on.

There have been prosecutions for postal voting fraud where the votes were not cast by the actual voter or the votes were cast as a result of intimidation. All of these and more are likely to be a bigger issue under online/text voting.

[GlesgaeHibby]

Internet voting is something that really needs to be looked at.

It's about modernising the whole process, and I believe it would increase participation. (Although getting to the polling station is hardly a big deal for the vast majority of people).

The cost of developing a system would surely be offset by requiring less staffing at polling stations. I know if it was possible to vote by internet I certainly would, and I imagine it would prove very popular.

The voting system already has problems that can be exploited. At the last election I got a polling card sent to my flat in Glasgow and to my home in East Lothian, in essence I could have had two votes if I had wanted to.

[Speedy]

Is it really such a hassle to get down to the polling station? We could even have them open for two or three days, or over a weekend if that makes it easier.

For heavens sake.....

For some people it is. For example, I am registered to vote at my mum's house as it is my 'permanent residence' but I have a 2 hour presentation at uni that day so I won't really be in the mood to get a 2 hour bus from uni to my mum's after that then get the bus for about the same length of time back to my flat just to cast my single vote which ultimately won't make any difference. I realise i could vote by post or by proxy but that is more hassle and many people wouldn't bother.

I could also register to vote at my flat but then I'd have 2 votes as GH said.

[Beefster]

For some people it is. For example, I am registered to vote at my mum's house as it is my 'permanent residence' but I have a 2 hour presentation at uni that day so I won't really be in the mood to get a 2 hour bus from uni to my mum's after that then get the bus for about the same length of time back to my flat just to cast my single vote which ultimately won't make any difference. I realise i could vote by post or by proxy but that is more hassle and many people wouldn't bother.

I could also register to vote at my flat but then I'd have 2 votes as GH said.

Not for a general election, you wouldn't.

[ArabHibee]

:hmmm: So what if someone leaves home to travel to work before the polling station opens at 7am and they won't be home before 10pm because the Hibs are playing at Fir Park.

Or are you not going to the game :greengrin

I will be at polling station at 7am on the dot so they better be sharp at opening. :grr:


Such a system would encourage overseas citizens who can't be ersed goin through all the hassle to vote from elsewhere...like me :greengrin

If you don't live in this country you shouldn't be allowed to vote, IMO.

[Greentinted]

All elections in France take place on a Sunday. Seems sensible to me. :dunno:

Funny, I was thinking about this last week when the Prime Minesterial debate was broadcast - why are elections called on a Thursday? Anyone know? :confused:

[hibsdaft]

All elections in France take place on a Sunday. Seems sensible to me. :dunno:

:agree:

[Steve-O]

I will be at polling station at 7am on the dot so they better be sharp at opening. :grr:



If you don't live in this country you shouldn't be allowed to vote, IMO.

Aye and if you've got the cheek to be on holiday then hell mend ye! :blah:

[Removed]

Funny, I was thinking about this last week when the Prime Minesterial debate was broadcast - why are elections called on a Thursday? Anyone know? :confused:

Quick search and I found this:

The designation of Thursday as the best day for elections (whether local, general or European) is a tradition and not a law. The only days we are really not allowed to vote are weekends or designated public holidays.
It’s been this way for general elections in the UK since 1935, and the other kinds of elections gradually fell into the same pattern for the sake of tidiness, over time. Northern Ireland only very recently moved its local elections from Wednesdays to Thursdays.
Why Thursdays, particularly? It used to be a popular market day, so people would already have been milling around in town and could vote along with the weekly shop. Thursday polling means results are announced on Friday, giving the new government the weekend to prepare. Thursdays are good so that the newly elected Prime Minister can have lunch with the Queen on Friday, and not impinge on her plans for the weekend.

Also saw another page that said people used to get paid on a Friday so they voted on a Thursday to make sure they weren't all pished :greengrin

[Greentinted]

Quick search and I found this:



Also saw another page that said people used to get paid on a Friday so they voted on a Thursday to make sure they weren't all pished :greengrin

Nice one,

And while I normally find the abbreviation LOL a tad overused and cringeworthy, your post script (quoted above) made me do just that! I have an image of primary schools bursting to the gunnels wi bevvied up punters causing bother...:thumbsup:

[Peevemor]

If you don't live in this country you shouldn't be allowed to vote, IMO.

Fair enough. I no longer live or pay my taxes in the UK so I don't expect to have any input, however miniscule, into how the country is run. With that said, I do have the right to vote which out of principle I won't use.

However, there are many foreigners (non commonwealth) who live, work and pay taxes in the UK who don't have the right to vote. Surely this isn't right.

[Beefster]

Fair enough. I no longer live or pay my taxes in the UK so I don't expect to have any input, however miniscule, into how the country is run. With that said, I do have the right to vote which out of principle I won't use.

However, there are many foreigners (non commonwealth) who live, work and pay taxes in the UK who don't have the right to vote. Surely this isn't right.

Yup, the right to vote should be based on domicile rather than citizenship.

[Peevemor]

Yup, the right to vote should be based on domicile rather than citizenship.

Tell me about it! :bitchy:

[The_Todd]

For some people it is. For example, I am registered to vote at my mum's house as it is my 'permanent residence' but I have a 2 hour presentation at uni that day so I won't really be in the mood to get a 2 hour bus from uni to my mum's after that then get the bus for about the same length of time back to my flat just to cast my single vote which ultimately won't make any difference. I realise i could vote by post or by proxy but that is more hassle and many people wouldn't bother.

I could also register to vote at my flat but then I'd have 2 votes as GH said.

Not how it works, you'd be removed from your other address. When I was at uni I was always registered to vote at my term time address, since I was always there when elections came round.