|
|
Post by andrew111 on May 11, 2021 18:16:39 GMT
Our departed colleague Tony Greaves (Gv 1) often spoke on electoral malpractice linked to postal voting. Never sure he ever highlighted personation as an issue. * We have decades of election experience on here. Has anyone ever appointed Polling Clerks? Has anyone experienced personation? I have once. One elderly sister voting for her poorly sibling. Polling Agents, I think you mean. IIRC johnhemming and Roger Harmer may have some experience of this in Birmingham.
Not quite personation, but I think I remember, during the 1987 election, one of our members spotted on the electoral register that his Tory-voting next door neighbour's underage children - and we're not talking about 17-going-on-18s here - had been entered with no indication of their underage status. We reported this to the elections office, I think they said that they would send a letter advising that the law would be broken if the children's votes were cast.
I did have an occasion when personation was threatened long ago in Horsforth. A chap who lived round the corner contacted us quite late on polling day to say his elderly mum was too ill to vote but could someone come round with a ballot paper. I explained that was not possible and thought no more. A while later I saw police tape around the house and garden and it transpired she had died months before and he had buried her in the garden while continuing to collect her pension.. So she certainly was too ill to vote! |
|
|
|
Post by andrew111 on May 11, 2021 18:20:11 GMT
"About the Heavy Woollen District Independents Due to increased media attention for the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election, where we received 12.2% of the vote in 2019, I am publishing this page to make it easier to find factual information about the Heavy Woollen District Independents." www.alekslukic.co.uk/hwdi.htmInteresting that they are 'to make an announcement in due course' They clearly think this is an opportunity for them to gain some attention, but that is only likely if they follow through with a candidate. Kirklees Council has just gone (or technically been confirmed as) NOC, and they may be hoping to gain something from standing (hurts Tories helps Labour) or not standing (vice versa) |
|
|
|
Post by Defenestrated Fipplebox on May 11, 2021 19:00:24 GMT
More like clerical error than personation in my experience. And I'm thinking of cancelling my postal vote as my signature is erratic these days and I fear their algorithm may reject it. Not helped by the fact that the PVs are processed miles away and we are given no opportunity to challenge any discards (unlike on the day ballots). Before you do that, call the elections office. You might be able to apply for a signature waiver.
My sister can no longer sign because of her disability, and she has a postal vote with signature waiver, so it just needs the date of birth on the envelope. I agree its definately worth you looking into it.
|
|
|
|
Post by gwynthegriff on May 11, 2021 19:06:20 GMT
Before you do that, call the elections office. You might be able to apply for a signature waiver.My sister can no longer sign because of her disability, and she has a postal vote with signature waiver, so it just needs the date of birth on the envelope. I agree its definately worth you looking into it.
I thank the two Hon Members; I was aware of the waiver but since I'm less active on polling day than I used to be I'm quite tempted to give the staff some company on the day.  |
|
|
|
Post by yellowperil on May 11, 2021 20:20:12 GMT
Eileen also has a waiver and it is automatically renewed each time. I have to choose my moments to help her cast her vote, but she certainly could no longer manage a signature. I have actually wondered how constant my signature is these days.
|
|
|
|
Post by where2travel on May 11, 2021 20:48:49 GMT
Eileen also has a waiver and it is automatically renewed each time. I have to choose my moments to help her cast her vote, but she certainly could no longer manage a signature. I have actually wondered how constant my signature is these days. I thought this as I was signing my postal vote this time, thinking that I couldn't remember when I last wrote my signature with a pen. I certainly don't do it often enough that I have an obviously consistent style anymore. It's the same with my handwriting, I don't write much and it's only ever things for me that other people won't need to read, so I naturally care less about the style and legibility. |
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,721
|
Post by CatholicLeft on May 12, 2021 7:44:29 GMT
|
|
right
Conservative
Posts: 18,777
|
Post by right on May 12, 2021 7:48:14 GMT
Can you imagine the wailing if this macabre stunt is tried and fails? |
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,721
|
Post by CatholicLeft on May 12, 2021 7:55:58 GMT
Can you imagine the wailing if this macabre stunt is tried and fails? Not sure it would be a macabre stunt - she is a local community activist, has been recognised as an effective worker for social cohesion in the area, and it is not that unusual for family members to follow each other in the same constituency. It is also several years since her sister's murder, so not so macabre. I am not convinced she will stand, or even be selected if she does, but I don't see it as a stunt. Whereas I thought at the time that Jack Sargent following his dad, Carl, was rather macabre. |
|
|
|
Post by andrew111 on May 12, 2021 9:39:05 GMT
Can you imagine the wailing if this macabre stunt is tried and fails? Not sure it would be a macabre stunt - she is a local community activist, has been recognised as an effective worker for social cohesion in the area, and it is not that unusual for family members to follow each other in the same constituency. It is also several years since her sister's murder, so not so macabre. I am not convinced she will stand, or even be selected if she does, but I don't see it as a stunt. Whereas I thought at the time that Jack Sargent following his dad, Carl, was rather macabre. I agree, she has a good reputation and would rise above Labour factions both local and national, I would have thought? |
|
|
|
Post by andrew111 on May 12, 2021 9:43:43 GMT
Other candidates touted today:
Shabir Pandor, leader of Council (universally disliked outside the Labour Party, and probably by quite a few in it after local power struggles)
Paula Sheriff (ex Dewsbury MP, as a constituent I thought she was ok. Big friend of Tracy I think, which may help her)
|
|
|
|
Post by matureleft on May 12, 2021 9:49:01 GMT
Bearing in mind the likelihood of Brabin winning the mayoralty I would assume that:
1. Some thought had been given as to possible candidates (by both the major parties in this seat).
2. Some initial campaign planning had been done - at least a look at constituency party preparedness/data.
Of course last week's events may well have thrown both up in the air. Labour may also have reflected on the candidate 'selection' process in Hartlepool.
|
|
andrea
Non-Aligned
Posts: 7,773
|
Post by andrea on May 12, 2021 9:56:04 GMT
Other candidates touted today: Shabir Pandor, leader of Council (universally disliked outside the Labour Party, and probably by quite a few in it after local power struggles) Paula Sheriff (ex Dewsbury MP, as a constituent I thought she was ok. Big friend of Tracy I think, which may help her) |
|
The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,925
|
Post by The Bishop on May 12, 2021 11:24:59 GMT
Other candidates touted today: Shabir Pandor, leader of Council (universally disliked outside the Labour Party, and probably by quite a few in it after local power struggles) Paula Sheriff (ex Dewsbury MP, as a constituent I thought she was ok. Big friend of Tracy I think, which may help her) Regarding the latter - an ex-MP? Even after Hartlepool?? (and I quite like Sheriff, so this isn't a judgement on her) |
|
hengo
Conservative
Posts: 1,689
|
Post by hengo on May 12, 2021 11:55:44 GMT
I wonder how keen the conservatives will be to win this one. I don’t know how realistic the talk is about it being Starmers last chance etc. But I’d have thought we were quite happy to see him survive.
|
|
The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,925
|
Post by The Bishop on May 12, 2021 11:59:52 GMT
I am.....wary of this. Open, fairly or otherwise, to the charge of emotional blackmail. If a Cox connection is considered desirable, her former office worker has already been mentioned as a possibility. |
|
sirbenjamin
IFP
True fame is reading your name written in graffiti, but without the words 'is a wanker' after it.
Posts: 4,979 
|
Post by sirbenjamin on May 12, 2021 12:07:36 GMT
Can you imagine the wailing if this macabre stunt is tried and fails? Not sure it would be a macabre stunt - she is a local community activist, has been recognised as an effective worker for social cohesion in the area, and it is not that unusual for family members to follow each other in the same constituency. It is also several years since her sister's murder, so not so macabre. I am not convinced she will stand, or even be selected if she does, but I don't see it as a stunt. Whereas I thought at the time that Jack Sargent following his dad, Carl, was rather macabre.
Well you can call it a 'stunt' or a 'ploy' or a 'cynical appointment' or whatever, but it's definitely an emerging trend in politics. We've seen it in Blaenau Gwent, we've seen it in Tooting, we've sorta seen in Batley and Spen once already... it's all attempts to make electors feel like they 'should' be voting for a certain candidate and feel guilty if they don't do so.
I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong, and clearly it's electorally very effective, but we need to acknowledge it for what it is. |
|
right
Conservative
Posts: 18,777
|
Post by right on May 12, 2021 13:18:20 GMT
Can you imagine the wailing if this macabre stunt is tried and fails? Not sure it would be a macabre stunt - she is a local community activist, has been recognised as an effective worker for social cohesion in the area, and it is not that unusual for family members to follow each other in the same constituency. It is also several years since her sister's murder, so not so macabre. I am not convinced she will stand, or even be selected if she does, but I don't see it as a stunt. Whereas I thought at the time that Jack Sargent following his dad, Carl, was rather macabre. After Will Straw talked about "weaponising" her death in the Brexit referendum there will be an association between Jo Cox's tragic death and attempts to spin it for political advantage. This may be unfair, but it could well be remembered and resented. |
|
Merseymike
Independent
Posts: 40,437
Member is Online
|
Post by Merseymike on May 12, 2021 13:20:30 GMT
Not sure it would be a macabre stunt - she is a local community activist, has been recognised as an effective worker for social cohesion in the area, and it is not that unusual for family members to follow each other in the same constituency. It is also several years since her sister's murder, so not so macabre. I am not convinced she will stand, or even be selected if she does, but I don't see it as a stunt. Whereas I thought at the time that Jack Sargent following his dad, Carl, was rather macabre. After Will Straw talked about "weaponising" her death in the Brexit referendum there will be an association between Jo Cox's tragic death and attempts to spin it for political advantage. This may be unfair, but it could well be remembered and resented. She's very locally rooted. If she had stood after the murder, yes, but now, she would be selected on her own merit. |
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,721
|
Post by CatholicLeft on May 12, 2021 13:36:32 GMT
I am.....wary of this. Open, fairly or otherwise, to the charge of emotional blackmail. If a Cox connection is considered desirable, her former office worker has already been mentioned as a possibility. I think it is unlikely that she will stand. Nonetheless, we don't know whether Kim Leadbetter has always had some political ambitions; is she forever to be prevented from standing in her home constituency because her sister was murdered? |
|
