Every time I vote there is always someone outside the polling station collecting the little number from the font of people's voting cards.

Invariably he or she wears a blue rosette though I suppose that doesn't make a difference, just that they are making it clear who they are in support of.

Is it some sort of market research? ie the code tells them which households are actually bothering to vote, so they target their doorstepping/leafleting to voters or abstainers?

Incidentally mrs Julian's recent chat with our kids in which she demonised people with blue ribbons, which I fear may have scared off the conservative doorsteppers the other week (see my old thread) has worn off completely. -When we encountered just such a be-ribboned man this morning, my children engaged him in a lengthly conversation about our cat, and how she can talk like a cartoon character. 😕

Is it some sort of market research? ie the code tells them which households are actually bothering to vote, so they target their doorstepping/leafleting to voters or abstainers?

Pretty much, if they're missing people who they had down as a definite voter for them, they may well call you or come around to see what's up

Not sure if they still do it but they used to share the info between themselves so that they could cope
& they talk about cross party agreements as though it's a new thing 🙂

I always thought it was so they could get back to your house before you and nick your TV.

tell them to f*** off and mind their own business.

I just ignore them

Incidentally mrs Julian's recent chat with our kids in which she demonised people with blue ribbons, which I fear may have scared off the conservative doorsteppers the other week (see my old thread) has worn off completely. -When we encountered just such a be-ribboned man this morning, my children engaged him in a lengthly conversation about our cat, and how she can talk like a cartoon character.

Sounds like you've got some good kids there, able to decide for themselves whether someone is a demon or not, rather than succome to your attempts to indoctrinate them 🙂

I always ask them to keep an eye on my bike while I pop inside to vote.
Had assumed that's what they were there for.

tell them to f*** off and mind their own business.

They aren't asking who you are voting for, just taking your Poll Number. You would have to be pretty wired to take offence at someone asking for that.

Sounds like you've got some good kids there, able to decide for themselves whether someone is a demon or not, rather than succome to your attempts to indoctrinate them

read the post: it's my wife who is the militant indoctrinating lefty. I quite like my local conservative MP. Expenses finger-burning and party whip-ness aside, he actually seems to give a monkey's about his constituents, lives here, and talks to people in the street even when there isn't an election in sight. (Doesn't actually mean I voted for him, mind!)

As well as getting the full Electoral Register for each voting district, political parties are also entitled to a copy of the "marked register", showing who has actually voted in a particular election.

The "Big 3" spend time between elections, trying to identify their supporters (ie who has voted for their party). Nothing sinister here – this information is gained by asking the voter directly, either on the doorstep or by phone.

So on Election Day itself, the parties can remind their supporters to get down to the Polling Station. It's useful to know who has already voted, so that resources can be targeted on the others.

In the good old days you used to end up driving minibuses round their houses to get them out to vote.

I lick their necks and faces then walk off.

We avoided all this crap by registering for a postal vote and buggering off to India..!
(you really wouldn't believe whereI'm posting this from… )

(you really wouldn't believe whereI'm posting this from… )

sat on the crapper after yet another dodgy curry?

to the one with red rosette "don't you think your lot have done enough damage!!" to the others its between me and the booth

One day those stood outside will then summon someone from a car who will drag you away to the Gulag!

Bloke at mine didn't have a rosette. I thought he was official or something.. not a party bloke.

I meant your as in you and your wife's brainwashing 🙂 <<<< smiley smiley!!

ffs etc

I view them as rather sinister (especially as they're wearing blue rosettes!). Refuse to tell them anything and got embroiled in a big argument last time as to whether we lived in a surveillance state like the old Iron Curtain.

I am going to try not to argue this time though!

Sky News have said that those outside a polling station with party affiliations asking to record the number on a polling card are recording this info to check that those who have promised to vote have done so. Seems soemwhat pointless to me………….

It certainly isn't anonymous voting – you hand in your card so they confirm your name/address, then they put the voting paper number alongside your name – I'm guessing if you are a repeat offender at defacing the voting you can get 'found' – I also suspect it's so they can do all that breakdown of what type of person votes for who…

The idea of a secret vote where only you know who you vote for has long since gone…'they' know exactly who voted for who.

As for the people outside the stations, I just smile and wink at them…

Sorry Nick. Hug?

Tangent here but then I did start the thread: recently I went on a course about cyber-bullying amongst tweenagers, and the wisdom would seem to be that smilies are Indeed A Good Thing and should be encouraged amongst our less literate offspring as there is less getting the wrong end of the stick.

Seems soemwhat pointless to me………….

Why?

Dick – I think you're wrong that you can be traced to your vote.

The number on the voting slip you're given isn't written against your name. It has a number so that there is no potential for fraud on the number of voting slips i.e. so no-one can stick in a load of pre-crossed slips as they'd be out of series and identifieable.

SOOBalias – Member
tell them to f*** off and mind their own business.

I quite agree, well put.

I'm guessing if you are a repeat offender at defacing the voting you can get 'found'

it's not criminal to deface or spoil your vote – in fact it's a legitimate form of dissent

OK, I'm wrong, but here's why your vote is secret:

null

yeah – your vote is confidential but not anonymous.

Just walked past Alistair Darling outside my polling station.

Shouldn't he be wearing a stripy suit and have a police escort?