Ballot papers after the Election and secrecy of the ballot.

[Escher]

What happens to the Ballot papers after the election?

How secret are they? (i.e. can the number on them be referenced to your name at a later date)

Are they used in any way to record long term how an individual voted?

[hugoboss]

taken from bbc news election faq section: 'The ballot papers contains a serial number: it is possible, but illegal, to trace all the votes to the people who cast them. The number is there to stop electoral fraud.'

[Grunty]

Absolutely correct hugoboss, but what if a future government was of a sinister disposition?  I am not making a comment about the present parties, but who in 1920 Germany knew what would happen in 12 years?

[Peter Pedant]

and there have been cases of electoral fraud - before Birmingham where it was systematised - where the numbers were matched to the votes.

A doctor voted five times in the name of his patients and got struck off I think.

[silly moo]

It would be very easy for the people on duty at the polling station to match up numbers and names. Especially if (as in my village) the people on duty actually live in the village and know virtually everybody by both sight and name.
We have to trust them not to break the law.
God help us if ever a future government decided to check.

[jenstar]

I think it's pretty safe to assume that some branch of the "security services" does indeed keep a record of how everyone votes because it's so easy to trace votes back, why *wouldn't* they?

[elgroucho]

Also, I think they are stored for a year, in case of legal challanges, and then destroyed.