I just voted in UK. Remarks / differences with the Greek electoral procedures:
1) They didn’t ask me to show any kind of identification (passport or whatever) only the polling card I received via post. In Greece you need to have id card.
2) The polling station was in a Methodist Church (specifically a building owned by them). In Greece that would be a scandal, the Orthodox Church providing space for such a cause.
3) I voted using a pencil? Shall I worry, will they erase my choice easily?
4) No envelopes are used here. You just fold the ballot paper. Also, the ballot box is not transparent.
Again very low turnout in East Yorkshire reaching ten per cent of the population. Ignorance is awful. Even party activists are claiming that East Yorkshire isn’t part of the Yorkshire Humber Euro constituency.
There is a lot of anti-big party voting going on.
Low turnout? Well, in Greece we are not expecting such a low turnout, but we surely expecting anti-big party voting, as both Greek socialists and conservatives (if there is any resemblance to the UK political spectrum – apart from the recent financial and therefore political scandals – this a pan-European phenomenon) are both involved in a turbulence caused by the pan-European scandal of Siemens. Because of that Greens are expected to do well, even if they appeared in the political scene 2 months ago. Greens were never a serious political movement in Greece.
And something amusing or….may I say scary?
Margot Wallström just posted this video on here facebook account:
When Eurovision meets the Euroelections….
Obviously an Eastern European contribution to art!!!
Best wishes to all you, guys, who are voting the next few days…Don’t be silenced. Use your vote to defeat racism and lack of concern!
(6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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Excellent points about the UK system; I worry about voter fraud in the postal votes, but it sounds like it isn’t much better at the polling station.
It’s UKIP that have made a complaint to the Electoral Commission (actually they may have a point, but not my party so I’m keeping quiet!).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/04/ukip-european-election-rerun-ballot
The leader of the UK Independence party today threatened to demand a rerun of the European elections and called for a ministerial scalp amid fears that his party had lost votes because its name fell below the crease of the folded ballot paper.
Nigel Farage wrote to Michael Wills, the elections minister, demanding his resignation because he said the elections had not been contested on a “free and fair basis”.
Earlier today, the Ukip leader lodged a complaint with the elections watchdog the Electoral Commission, in which it said that the last parties in alphabetical order were hidden when the first fold of the EU ballot paper was opened.
Thanx Andy,
I m not really implying that there is some kind of fraud in UK…It just seemed awkward in my eyes
And yes, I only feel pity for UKIP..oh yes, and mercy…
OMG, what a crappy song, i don’t know or to laugh or to cry…pls, EU we have more than enough one Eurovision contest!!!!
Really interesting points about the mechanics of voting in the UK. I don’t suppose it ever really crossed anyone’s mind to question the practices you have observed. They are probably “time-honoured” (go back to Magna Carta, no doubt) and, well, we don’t have to worry about fraud and corruption in political life in the UK, do we…?
I like your sense of humour, Himoverthere… Corruption of the political world is a huge Paneuropean issue…
Re: about the mechanics of voting in the UK: These are observations from an outsider, who comes from the “birthplace of democracy” and knows very well what fraud means at all level of political and civil life.
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