Polling Day, just been, they know how I voted!

[R1Geezer]

They have us on a list and then write down the ballot number. Why do they save this information, presumably the data is stored on a database somewhere for future leaking to the press or other witch hunts! I don't personally care who knows how I voted but surely this is a matter between you and the box, what business is it of the state? The poll clark mumbled something about voting fraud yada yada yada. I voted UKIP by the way.

[Julnar]

I think certain details are kept R1Geezer should there be any fraud involved in the voting procedure. The public are assured their votes would only be checked in such matters.
I am slightly paranoid and would suspect that certain people on certain lists held by the intelligence services may well have their voting preferences investigated more frequently than we realise.
Personally, I don't mind if people know how I voted. Today, I made a protest vote and voted Green, as I refuse to vote Labour this time around.

[claireybear]

R1Geezer you are talking sh1t. Unless of course you are that stupid and you showed the person sitting by the door your voting slip so that he could check how you had voted and note it down on his clipboard!

The voting slip has a number and that correlates with your name on a clipboard. But once that voting slip goes in the box it remains sealed until someone empties it at like 10.30pm when the slips are being counted. When I say counted, I mean 1, 2, 3 etc not oh look Jim Smith voted for BNP note that down on the clipboard!! I know as I have counted votes for years now!

Someone has already pointed out that the numbers on the voting slip are there to help work out how many votes should be in a box. One of the first things done when counting a ballot box is to make sure that number tallys up!

& no the Mi5 do not go through the bags of voting slips at the end of the day to work out how everyone has voted. You'd have to be paranoid and stupid or just stupid to believe that!

[R1Geezer]

.......and shortly after that the clip board lists are entered into a computer, tada, they know which slip was used by which voter. Later should the need arise they can find the actual slip and........well. Not saying it's common place but these sorts of things have a habit of becomming more and more common until it becomes accepted.

I bet you are one of the "nothing to hide nothing to fear brigade" aren't you?

[naomi24]

I agree with Geezer. This system has always bugged me. In a democracy, votes should be secret, and the way someone has voted shouldn't be traceable. Clearly it's imperative that names are checked off the register, but slip numbers shouldn't be logged against individual names.

You may have counted votes for years, claireybear, but that makes you a clerk - not an expert on the electoral system, and neither does it make you privy to the eventual fate of ballot papers after the event.