ID checks.

chopperbyrne

Was anyone else asked for ID when they went to vote?

I didn't have my polling card on me and currently have no photo ID.

I went in to the polling station, gave my address and was told what table to go to.

I told the woman at the table that I didn't have my polling card on me and I have no photo ID.

She said that I couldn't vote without the ID.

I explained that the last time I voted I didn't need it.

She asked if I had my polling card last time.

I told her I did.

She said "well that's why you could vote last time without ID!" very matter of factly.

I explained that a polling card is no proof of identification and that I could easily have got one from a mate who wasn't voting and used his vote.

She had no answer to this.

I showed her my bank and social services cards.

She let me vote because I had basically outsmarted her.

Surely it can't be too hard to issue a voting number based on your PPS number?

humanji

What you proved was that if you pester the people at the polling station enough, they'll get pissed off and let you vote just to get rid of you. I really don't think you should of been let vote.

miles teg

I didn't have a polling card either.
went to vote and was told which table to go to. Someone was ahead of me and gave her details and they crossed her off the list. I then said i was the next one on the list. They said ok and gave me my voting slip. I hadn't even given them my name, let alone my id. I must look trustworthy :rolleyes:

DeepBlue

chopperbyrne wrote:

I showed her my bank and social services cards.

She let me vote because I had basically outsmarted her.

Surely it can't be too hard to issue a voting number based on your PPS number?

You hadn't outsmarted her - the cards you showed were acceptable forms of ID for voting.
The issue with using the PPS number for everything is that such a use would contravene the Data Protection Act.

Basically the Act prevents stored information from being used for a purpose for which it was not originally intended and as the PPS number wasn't originally created to be a universal identifier for citizens for the purposes of voting it can't be used for that purpose after the fact.

MikeHoncho

WTF!!! You didnt outsmart her they said they would accept bank cards as ID for this election. If you wanted to vote so much that you felt the need to "outsmart" someone why arent you smart enough to bring your polling card to the polling station. Did you expect to come in here and get given big ups or something. Why do you think they give you a polling card in the first place.

leninbenjamin

i was asked for ID even though i HAD my polling card.

Heinrich

humanji wrote:

What you proved was that if you pester the people at the polling station enough, they'll get pissed off and let you vote just to get rid of you. I really don't think you should of been let vote.

We had a woman, accompanied by her daughter yesterday trying that stunt. No card, no ID and aggressive. We told her that she was not entitled to vote according to the rules and she started shouting that if she had the card that she did not need to have ID and that it was not written on the card. Being pedantic we showed her the back of a card and it was indeed written that "...may be asked for ID, passport, driver's .....

He daughter had a student card and the close resemblence to her mother made for clemency.

Even with polling cards we did ask randomly for ID as this is what the rules state. Most people actually had their ID in their hand.

is_that_so

I wasn't challenged despite having a shiny passport in my hand. In fact I didn't even get a word out of him. :rolleyes:

Blitzkrieger

DeepBlue wrote:

being used for a purpose for which it was not originally intended

Was it originally inteded to be used to obtain a driver's license? I recently needed a replacement car license and had to apply for a motorbike test. Both times I had to give my pps number.

DeepBlue

Blitzkrieger wrote:

Was it originally inteded to be used to obtain a driver's license? I recently needed a replacement car license and had to apply for a motorbike test. Both times I had to give my pps number.

Don't quote me but afaik it was created for Government services so a driving licence would fall under that.

Khannie

DeepBlue wrote:

You hadn't outsmarted her - the cards you showed were acceptable forms of ID for voting.

Sadly, this is true. Personally, I think that you should be required to have photograph state identification (passport, driving licence) if you don't have your polling card. The OP could easily have been someone he wasn't.

I was asked for ID and gave my driving licence.

chopperbyrne

My point wasn't about me outsmarting anyone.

It was about the lax attitude to ID and why it can't be tied to something everyone is issued with anyway.

I don't have photo ID.

Granted it's not likely that someone would give me their bank and social services card, but they're really not valid proof of ID either.

TwoShedsJackson

I was asked for mine but most likely only because I had my driving licence in my hand after I took it and my polling card out of my pocket in front of the woman at the table.

That or they were bored as even though it was 7.30 p.m. there was no other sod in the polling station.

Heinrich

TwoShedsJackson wrote:

I was asked for mine but most likely only because I had my driving licence in my hand after I took it and my polling card out of my pocket in front of the woman at the table.

That or they were bored as even though it was 7.30 p.m. there was no other sod in the polling station.

Maybe they were tired after a 7 a.m. start...

eirebhoy

chopperbyrne wrote:

My point wasn't about me outsmarting anyone.

It was about the lax attitude to ID and why it can't be tied to something everyone is issued with anyway.

I don't have photo ID.

Granted it's not likely that someone would give me their bank and social services card, but they're really not valid proof of ID either.

If you didn't need any ID or even a polling card I can guarantee you there'd be people going in and voting using someone elses details. The polling card is only a piece of paper but you're hardly going to come across a strangers polling card very easily.

chopperbyrne

It is very easy to get someone who isn't voting to give you their polling card though. I could have used three of my friends polling cards and voted at different times during the day if I'd wanted.

_Kaiser_

I had the card and my license in hand but they didn't want to see it.

I Could've been any one of the other lads in the house.

eirebhoy

chopperbyrne wrote:

It is very easy to get someone who isn't voting to give you their polling card though. I could have used three of my friends polling cards and voted at different times during the day if I'd wanted.

If your friend is willing to give you their card then you could probably get them to walk into the polling station and vote how you wanted, after a bit of persuasion.

0utshined

Heinrich wrote:

Maybe they were tired after a 7 a.m. start...

Too right! It was a long day.

chopperbyrne wrote:

It is very easy to get someone who isn't voting to give you their polling card though. I could have used three of my friends polling cards and voted at different times during the day if I'd wanted.

The polling card is just telling you where to go to vote, it's not an evidence of identity so you've got just as much chance of being asked for ID with one as you do without one.

jimi_t

chopperbyrne wrote:

It is very easy to get someone who isn't voting to give you their polling card though. I could have used three of my friends polling cards and voted at different times during the day if I'd wanted.

You could have. And you would have a serious criminal conviction if caught.

Tbh, I wouldn't be particularly convinced by the argument that you could use your friends polling cards. Nearly a third of the population who registered didn't bother voting, not to mention the percentage of the population who simply didn't register.

Malteaser!

leninbenjamin wrote:

i was asked for ID even though i HAD my polling card.

So was I but she barely even looked at it!!