Is Our Vote Really Secret?

[Cloverjo]

I know this was discussed a couple of weeks ago here, but I want to bring it up again. Someone here said he was concerned that his electoral roll number was written on the ballot paper and so it would be possible for people to find out how he voted. He was told that wouldn't happen, by others on the thread.
Today, I received a letter from the candidate that I voted for last time, in which she thanked me for putting my trust in her at the last election. My son voted for her too and he also got a letter. My partner didn't vote for her, and so didn't get a letter. It looks like she knew how my son and I voted, and I'm quite concerned by this, as it is supposed to be a secret ballot. Am I being paranoid or it possible that her party somehow got hold of the ballot papers and found out who voted for whom?

[Hymie]

My postal ballot paper includes a ballot paper number, together with this number repeated prefixed by an identifier for the electoral district.

Envelope A, into which the ballot paper is sealed, is marked with my name and the above ballot paper number. So anyone opening my sealed ballot envelope will know who I voted for.

However, envelope B, into which envelope A is placed (and sealed) sent through the post, contains no unique identifier as to its contents.

[naomi24]

Eddie, //It is a worrying development. //

It's not a development. It's been happening for years.

[DaisyNonna]

Should imagine that the size of the postal ballot envelopes could be very tricky for someone with arthritic fingers