Your 'secret' Vote

I have never seen anyone hanging around outside any Poling Station I have been to, but maybe voting at opening time reduces the chance.

I am not paranoid enough to worry about any State Security Service knowing how I voted, possibly because I have never voted for a non-democratic party.

Perhaps I should be more worried? I suspect not. If it got to that point I would emigrate.

ATB from George

I think what happens is that the officials cross off your polling card number to make sure you do not vote again.

As for the hangers on outside, it is usually representatives of the main parties to check that people have voted and then go hassle those who have not.

Tim

quote:

This means your vote is not necessarily secret and by cross referencing the slips how everyone voted can be determined.

Is this being done, dunno but I'm cynical enough think it is!

This would be technically possible but would involve a hugely expensive secret second count ( the first one is observed by the parties and the media ) with tellers not just counting the votes, but noting down the number and vote cast on every paper, then a second group collating these notes or entering both slips on a computer. All these people - and it would take thousands of them - would have to keep the secret, and given the huge scandal involved you'd either have to pay them huge amounts of money or keep them in fear of their lives. Even then, you couldn't possibly keep something like this secret - which is the rock on which most conspiracy theories founder. You'd also have to ask yourself why anyone would think it was important enough, to spend all this cash and take such a huge risk. Plus, if they were doing it you'd expect to see some pretty odd things happening as a result - like everyone who didn't vote for the winners, suddenly disappearing overnight!

This record is actually kept in case someone tries to mount a legal challenge, claiming that their vote - or all the votes of an area, or of a sector of the population, known to be sympathetic to a particular candidate - wasn't counted.

The people outside are appointed representatives of the candidates and do have a legal right to be there and ask how you voted. You don't have to tell them of course and personally I never do.

quote:

Originally posted by bon:
I think we need some voting observers from Zimbabwe to make sure we are doing things right!

You havin' a laugh ?!....I've been in Zimbabwe, on assignment, during elections and despite the swarm of observers from SADC and Europe, this fella pretty much did anything he liked......!

Don't we get this 'revelation' at every election?