Electoral Commission raises doubts over postal vote applications being handled legally by the Conservatives

As I understand it, these are not voting forms, GrannyRose, as it would be illegal for them to go to a local political party office, but these are application forms for postal voting.

We don't have elections here this time either but that's not the point.

The point is that an application for a postal vote should go directly to your local Electoral Registration Office at your County Council offices.

My understanding is that they can do this legally where the local council who send out the postal votes do not provide a stamped addressed envelope. There is no compulsion to use the envelope provided. There is always the option of sending the form directly to the returning officer or handing it in at a polling station. I don’t think it is quite as sinister as people are making it out to be but none the less I think it is a bad idea. Not because the votes will be tampered with in any way but because the whole system has to be SEEN to be independent. Having said that I don’t agree with postal voting except in very limited circumstances and think the expansion of postal voting as well as the need to show ID at polling stations have serious implications for democracy.

Anniel

These elections do not involve voters in London. Our local elections are at a different time in the calendar. So are other big cities involved. I realise that this thread was really accusing the Tories of dirty tricks but when the huge number of postal votes in Tower Hamlets was questioned there were cries of Tory racism. So this is yet another ploy to question Conservative Party use of postal votes. We all realise the Tories will get trounced in the local elections so maybe they are just trying to get older people who cannot get out to vote. And Daisy Anne we all know you despise the Tories.

Which poster used to have that great meme of someone banging their head repeatedly against a wall? I think DaisyAnne needs it.

Just what will it take for some people to wake up to what is being taken from them?

Anniel

These elections do not involve voters in London. Our local elections are at a different time in the calendar. So are other big cities involved. I realise that this thread was really accusing the Tories of dirty tricks but when the huge number of postal votes in Tower Hamlets was questioned there were cries of Tory racism. So this is yet another ploy to question Conservative Party use of postal votes. We all realise the Tories will get trounced in the local elections so maybe they are just trying to get older people who cannot get out to vote. And Daisy Anne we all know you despise the Tories.

Where did I accuse the Tories of dirty tricks? I questioned their reason for asking people to reply via their local Conservative Party Office. The only thing I can think of is a chance to glean information. You may have a better answer. It is worth remembering that it is illegal to harvest data unless you have asked for and been given permission by the voter to do so.

I'm not sure how often you go on the N & P threads, but if it was as often as some of us do you would know that I would say exactly the same if this happened under a Labour Party government that had previously taken all power away from the independent body who used to be able to look into these things. So, please don't attribute things to me that I haven't written.

Just that it was your opinion that I might write unresearched nonsense, it is my opinion that your reply was rude Nicenanny3.

Nicenanny3

I'm not being rude, just stating I've not had a letter nor have any of my friends and asking if anyone on GN has. Anyway life's too short, chill.

No, I haven't had any of them. However, I have noticed that the Conservative campaign literature makes almost no reference to the Conservative Party or the candidates' manifesto for the local area. It's really nasty negative smearing of the current council, which is independent. They're bombarding the local Facebook groups with the same kind of stuff too.

These elections do not involve voters in London. Our local elections are at a different time in the calendar. So are other big cities involved. I realise that this thread was really accusing the Tories of dirty tricks but when the huge number of postal votes in Tower Hamlets was questioned there were cries of Tory racism. So this is yet another ploy to question Conservative Party use of postal votes. We all realise the Tories will get trounced in the local elections so maybe they are just trying to get older people who cannot get out to vote. And Daisy Anne we all know you despise the Tories.

I'm not being rude, just stating I've not had a letter nor have any of my friends and asking if anyone on GN has. Anyway life's too short, chill.

I am not being "silly" but you are being very rude. I take our democracy very seriously. You obviously still haven't read the article I flagged where it tells you that in the last few weeks tens of thousands of these have gone out and shows a picture of the forms and the stamped addressed envelope.

I'm not accusing you of trolling don't be silly, just making a comment I don't have a postal vote and I've not received one of these letters and nor has anyone I know. Perhaps it's just certain areas.

For everyone's information, you can see an article here inews.co.uk/news/electoral-commission-doubts-postal-vote-applications-legal-conservatives-2232318

I actually picked it up on a blog I follow. I haven't had the letter and forms but don't expect them to send them out to those who already use postal voting.

I assume you looked this up Nicenanny3 before you basically accused me of trolling.

Well I've not had one sent to me or anyone I know. Has anyone else on here had one or is it just nonsense.

All these new practices make me deeply uncomfortable

I'm glad not to be the only one feeling uncomfortable about it.

Maybe we will get more clarity but, with Parliament on holiday it seems the journalist have also taken a break (not unreasonably) and the TV programmes that might ask the relevant questions are off-air.

Completely agree - if the Tories wanted to increase voting, the envelopes could be printed with the relevant local authority address.

Of course, the Tories don’t want to increase voting, or they would not have introduced entirely unnecessary voter id.

Does sound unusual.

That sounds very odd.

We have postal votes, have had for some years since we were going to be overseas on an election day, but had to apply to the Electoral Registration Office at County Hall to be put on the list.

The whole practice sounds very questionable now that you highlight it. Thank you for doing so.