Cllr Peter Golds (Blackwall and Cubitt Town Ward) outlines his views on the need to reform voting practices in Great Britain.
In 1872 Parliament introduced the Ballot Act to provide secrecy in voting; establishing what was to be known worldwide as a “public act in private”. A few years later the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act gave to this country one of the most secure and envied electoral systems anywhere.
However, recent changes have seen cracks in this system. The vast increase in postal voting has resulted in a private act in public becoming a potentially public act in a private place.
In France, and indeed most of Europe, postal voting is almost unknown yet 80% of the electorate voted in the recent presidential election. At the same time anybody presenting themselves to vote requires some form of ID. In this country it is more difficult to obtain a library book than a ballot paper.
As a result concerns have arisen about the probity of elections. If the voters think their vote will not matter because of fraud, then turnout will fall even further.
In February 1950, in bitter cold and with very few cars and limited postal voting, well over 80% of the electorate cast their votes in the UK general election, which was regarded worldwide as free and fair.
Parliament is currently looking at election law. Individual registration, a reduction of postal voting on demand and the extension from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK of the requirement to produce some ID when voting will go a long away towards restoring integrity in our system.
Cllr Peter Golds can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]