How illegal?

[flashpig]

I'm not in the place that I'm registered to vote by about 100 miles / �30.

While I would like to vote it would be difficult and costly to do it, so could I get my 17 year old brother to go in my place? He knows what I would vote, and looks not only over 18 but looks like me too, and I trust him, but I don't want to see him locked up for fraud or any of that stuff.

Still, I would like my views to count for something.

[45703]

I hear the sound of keys being thrown away if you want your views to count you should have made alternative arrangements.

[Loosehead]

It isn't legal but you'll probably get away with it.

[dafyd]

That's a proxy vote - it's perfectly legal... but you have to apply for it first.

[camille79]

To be honest, I can't see how they'd know!  I've never been asked to confirm my identity, usually they just check the polling card and tick you off their list.

[acw]

We shouldn't use this site to encourage fraudulent activity - certainly not such activity that interferes with the democracry of this country. 

 

I am not for one minute suggesting that FLASHPIG is involved in fraud, but those irresponsible answers merely encourage electoral cheating. 

 

Sorry Flashpig, but if you had wanted to vote, and like me were away from home (I'm 200 miles/�40/3 hours by train away) then you'd have booked your postal or proxy vote well in advance.  Poll clerks CAN ask you for ID - and may ask your brother! Better luck next time! :-)

[flashpig]

Okay, how about asking my girlfriend to use her vote for me? She doesn't care about the election. It would just be like exchanging votes, it's just now I'M not voting and she's voting what I would. No parties lose out, and I'm voting for my good old party (I don't know whether my party views have been expressed, but I feel like keeping it to myself now that its voting time).

[acw]

Sorry for posting three times - technical problem!

 

Asking your girlfriend to vote for you is different - because when she turns up to vote her name will match that on the real Poll Card.  Legally it is therefore totally different to asking your brother to impersonate you. 

Morally I'm not so sure, but it's impossible to prove that she voted following your opinion rather than her own. 

[MargeB]

lol@acw

[acw]

Which bit is funny?  The accidental triple posting, or the conetnt of my answers?

[45703]

acw your posts are informative mature and in my opinion correct.

[kempie]

Surely this just highlights a flaw in the system.

Nobody checks the identity of the person who turns up to vote. As long as you give a name and matching address you are assumed to be that person.

[FP]

I live in such a rural area with so few voters that everybody knows who you are.  The nice thing is that you can have a good chat and a get together at our very remote polling station.

[MargeB]

it was just funny. Who books in advance?

[kazza12345]

personally i dont really see whats worng with it (apart from being illegal!)

last general election,(before i realised breaking the law was a truley wicked thing to do,) when i was living away from home, i wasn't registered to vote where i was living, but my friend who was living in digs with me had moved to australia, so i just took her voting card to the polling station, and nobody threw me in jail

[acw]

I organised my postal voting in advance.  There'd be no point in me trying to vote by post next week would there?  Many people I know organised this in advance.  If you find my decision to exercise my democratic right hilarious, then good for you. 

 

I realise you also may find it funny that there are some people left in this country who still see good reason to obey the law even if they probably wouldn't get caught breaking it. 

 

I'm glad I caused you so much amusement. 

[acw]

PS - Cheers 57403

[MargeB]

Hilarity

[MargeB]

Acw, how does what flashpig is suggesting actually interfere with anyone or the democracy of the country?