It's always reported as brisk or slow, another British electoral tradition.
The thoroughly old-fashioned, manual British voting system, with pencils on strings in musty church halls, is very reassuring. The system has hardly been adapted in 100 years.
Many countries have tried to modernise the voting process in a bid to save some piffling amounts. More likely politicians or senior officials feel a bit embarrassed about the archaic ‘look and feel’. But the main point of election day is accuracy and ensuring the count is free from fraud. There is no compelling case to change when the two main criteria are already satisfied.
In Florida in 2000, the pencil was deemed too problematic for the locals to wield, so in some counties, they used electronic screens where voters would use their palms to indicate their choice. Only about 10 percent of these ‘votes’ were actually recorded. And the nature of the exercise means any software errors are rather fatal to the process. We cannot be casual about this, the price of such blunders is the disenfranchising the voter which is unforgivable.
Like Florida, we can expect some legal challenges; they are getting much more prevalent over the years. The increased use of postal votes gives potential voter fraudsters much more opportunity to defy the democratic will. But additional ID checks mean that should be kept to a minimum this time.
The only lengthy legal challenges in recent history have concerned dead-heat finishes. Tory Health Minister, Gerry Malone lost his Winchester seat in 1997 to Lib-Dem Mark Oaten by two votes. Although successful in the High Court in getting a re-run between the two, Malone did not realise the momentum was gone and Oaten annihilated him by over 21,000.
The legal wrangling this time may be more constitutional in nature. Cameron's Zeppelin-like ambition to become PM is bound to burst forth if Brown and Clegg discuss terms of a referendum on electoral reform which would block a Tory Government for the foreseeable. Dave has already called this, perversely, ‘undemocratic’ even though the coalition would constitute more than 50 percent of seats and votes.
But whatever the bust-ups after the election at least we will, unlike very many countries, be satisfied the vote was not bent. And most of the 'bendy' MPs, partial to extravagant expense claims, will be gone as well.
In Florida in 2000, the pencil was deemed too problematic for the locals to wield, so in some counties, they used electronic screens where voters would use their palms to indicate their choice. Only about 10 percent of these ‘votes’ were actually recorded. And the nature of the exercise means any software errors are rather fatal to the process. We cannot be casual about this, the price of such blunders is the disenfranchising the voter which is unforgivable.
Like Florida, we can expect some legal challenges; they are getting much more prevalent over the years. The increased use of postal votes gives potential voter fraudsters much more opportunity to defy the democratic will. But additional ID checks mean that should be kept to a minimum this time.
The only lengthy legal challenges in recent history have concerned dead-heat finishes. Tory Health Minister, Gerry Malone lost his Winchester seat in 1997 to Lib-Dem Mark Oaten by two votes. Although successful in the High Court in getting a re-run between the two, Malone did not realise the momentum was gone and Oaten annihilated him by over 21,000.
The legal wrangling this time may be more constitutional in nature. Cameron's Zeppelin-like ambition to become PM is bound to burst forth if Brown and Clegg discuss terms of a referendum on electoral reform which would block a Tory Government for the foreseeable. Dave has already called this, perversely, ‘undemocratic’ even though the coalition would constitute more than 50 percent of seats and votes.
But whatever the bust-ups after the election at least we will, unlike very many countries, be satisfied the vote was not bent. And most of the 'bendy' MPs, partial to extravagant expense claims, will be gone as well.
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