Labour wins Peterborough

trisher as we enter the "polling booth" alone, it would be easy to take a photo with a smartphone, no flash needed.

GrannyGravy13 I agree but the volunteers from Democracy reported seeing photos being taken and although I realise they are there as observers I still think anyone observing someone breaking the law should report this to the presiding officer. But I was thinking about it and I remember when every polling station had a police man at the door, possibly a police presence would stop people breaking the law and make the presiding officer more confident about intervening.

Hope it is solved quickly, I feel sorry for the people working in the polling station

Trisher I can't post links on my phone, if you Google The Peterborough Telegraph fraud it will come up.

possibly a police presence would stop people breaking the law and make the presiding officer more confident about intervening.
Yes, possibly, but it would be a sad day for democracy if a Presiding Officer should feel intimidated enough not to ensure that a fair election was taking place.

But there was always a policeman when I was young,standing at the door. I dont know if Presiding Officers were more vulnerable then?

democracyvolunteers.org/2019/06/06/preliminary-statement-peterborough-parliamentary-by-election-06-06-19/

This is worth a read. I didn’t know that this organisation existed before this election -their webpage is interesting and they cover elections all over the world not just UK

there were always police officers in polling stations, made things very difficult in rural Wales, so many villages and hamlets all with polling stations

No, but there were more policemen/women.

Well, possibly not more policewomen.

Thanks for the link suziewoozie it is very interesting.

There were photographs passed to police which were taken outside the polling station where a crowd of Indian youths all westingbred rosette, were shepherded into the back of a vehicle parked outside and then ushered in by a known labour member to vote.
It was noteworthy because of the number and young ages of those voters who appeared to not have a clue.
May I again suggest that doubters read the article from June 16th 2019 copy of Politicalite.
There are photos which clearly show the man in question in the count room and even the counters have confirmed he was there contrary to what he or JC says. Read to the end before making comments talking about rumour.

westingbred wearing red

The police need more to go on than rumours before they will investigate, so there must be more substance to this than gossip and rumour.

It’s only by investigating surely that the police will know what happened? So if someone complains, they investigate. That’s the right thing isn’t it? But because someone complains it doesn’t automatically mean that there is something wrong, that’s why they investigate. Sounds a bit circular but I think I know what I mean.

Meant to add that I really can’t understand why the Labour Party allowed a man convicted of electoral fraud back into the party never mind let him be part of the campaign, whatever role he had.

I thought the same suzie trisher spoke of members of the public being on the platform but surely complete strangers would not be allowed so close , poor protection if so.

Anniebach I thought that at a count there is a public area that anyone can access and then a restricted area for which you need a pass.

Yes suzie but Corbyn wasn’t at the count, I think he went there to congratulate the new MP

You need a pass to go into the part of the hall where the votes are actually being counted and laid out on the tables. All parties for that count have a number allocated to them and usually choose close supporters and/or family. It is the task of those people to watch the votes and point out when ones for your side are in the wrong pile. For the actual announcement, usually in another hall and away from the actual voting papers, other people can be present and, at all counts I have been at, the Police are visible. The postal vote is crucial in most constituencies these days although, personally, I believe you should only get it in very exceptional circumstances and it should have heavy safeguards on it to protect democracy.

Trisher The DemocracyVolunteers are observers . Their task is to observe what is happening and then report back. Not to interfere in the voting process, which might well be illegal

They would be able to see if someone is photographing their ballot, whether the camera produces a flash or not, based on their time in the booth and their body movements which would show the arm movement of marking the vote and then some further shuffling around before the vote was folded and put in the ballot box.

Having read the post about them I understand that M0nica. But the question remains if we have regulations (and this is the law) why is it happening? I know Presiding officers have a lot to cope with and it must be very difficult for them to monitor everyone voting, which is why I asked about the policeman. It seems to me that there is absolutely no point in having regulations if no one reports breeches. I think possibly the biggest threat to democracy is the inability or reluctance to apply the law in polling stations.

But DemocracyVolunteers have reported breaches and the volunteers acknowledge that polling station staff were quick to stop attempts at group voting. It was the photographing they did not either see or stop.

I suppose, photo taking is such an instant thing. What could they do to make someone remove a photo from their phone?

It is illegal to actually photograph the numbers on a ballot paper or to reveal any evidence of the way anyone else has voted. Advice says no-one should be aking any photos inside a polling station even selfies. I think it would be difficult (if not impossible) for a PO to ask for a phone or ask for a picture to be deleted. And they have a long and busy day. So it seems to me unless we have some other person present (community police officers?) who can enforce the law, we are opening things up to more and more fraud, which people may observe, but not act on, and which will take so long to investigate and cost so much it won't be viable and democracy will suffer.

Oops!!

This is old news- 15th Jan 2019
So now the Conservatives, Brexit party and the Labour party have been fined. Makes you think there isn't an honest party anywhere.