Bible on the desk of all voting stations?

TheInquisitor · 05-06-2009 1:06pm #1

If someone does not have ID or does not look like the Id they produce they have to swear on a bible that they are the person they say they are! A bit open to abuse and out of the times no?

Iwasfrozen · 05-06-2009 1:26pm

Outdated, I'm an atheist and would have no problem swearing on the bible to vote twice or even three times in different polling stations with different names.

Borneo Fnctn · 05-06-2009 2:26pm

Well I'm outraged. :mad:

robindch · 05-06-2009 3:04pm

Didn't see one this morning and I didn't produce ID either. I wonder would they accept a copy of The God Delusion in place of the bible?

Goduznt Xzst · 05-06-2009 3:09pm

where did this whole thing come from that says people are less likely to lie if they have their hand on the bible? I mean it isn't mentioned in the Bible is it? I mean a lie is a lie to God right (perhaps a Christian could clarify) If I swore to tell the truth and lied does the Christian God care whether or not his diary is in the room or is this purely a tradition created extraneously to the bible.

It just seems farcical in this day and age that instead of refusing to let people with faulty ID's vote, they put their trust in the shoddy understanding that people won't lie with their hand on the Bible.

DTrotter · 05-06-2009 5:31pm

Is this true or an urban myth?

Hivemind187 · 05-06-2009 5:37pm

I didnt see one down my way ... though I found it a little peculiar that we are forced to use penicls rather than pens to mark our choices.

Very suspicious

>.>

<.<

DTrotter · 05-06-2009 5:43pm

Hivemind187 wrote: »

I didnt see one down my way ... though I found it a little peculiar that we are forced to use penicls rather than pens to mark our choices.

Very suspicious

>.>

<.<

The pencils could break when you stick them in the voting machines.

jimi_t · 05-06-2009 5:45pm

Goduznt Xzst wrote: »

It just seems farcical in this day and age that instead of refusing to let people with faulty ID's vote, they put their trust in the shoddy understanding that people won't lie with their hand on the Bible.

They spent 50+ million on voting machines that were intrinsically flawed from day one - what exactly were you expecting?

TheInquisitor · 05-06-2009 6:30pm

DTrotter wrote: »

Is this true or an urban myth?

This is true. I have a friend working at one of the stations and for the laugh he asks every 20th person to swear on it!

Also after he told me i looked for it at my station and there at the front was a small bible!

Dinner · 05-06-2009 9:49pm

TheInquisitor wrote: »

If someone does not have ID or does not look like the Id they produce they have to swear on a bible that they are the person they say they are! A bit open to abuse and out of the times no?

Yeah there was one at the station I was at. But reading through the rule book, there is an alternative thing to say that didn't have god in it. Can't remember what it was though.

Agent J · 05-06-2009 10:32pm

Dinner wrote: »

Yeah there was one at the station I was at. But reading through the rule book, there is an alternative thing to say that didn't have god in it. Can't remember what it was though.

Its something like "I do solmely swear , vow and affirm that i XXX" instead of "I swear before god almighty"

Wouldnt get too worked up about it. There is a non religious option but the bible is provided as part of standard polling station kit.

GLaDOS · 06-06-2009 12:14am

Didn't notice this at all.

Though I wasn't asked for I.D. so don't think they really minded too much...

Urizen · 06-06-2009 12:49am

Yeah, I wasn't ID'd either... Was anyone?

Galvasean · 06-06-2009 1:11pm

I was ID'd", but they barely glanced at it. If there was a bible there I didn't notice it.

*and by ID'd I don't mean Intelligently Designed

jhegarty · 06-06-2009 8:49pm

The God/Bible has been optional since 63.

The wording is :
I swear by Almighty God that I am the same person as the person whose name appears as A B on the register of electors now in force for the constituency of .......................... and that I have not already voted at this election, and that I had attained the age of twenty-one years on....................... (date of coming into force of the register).

or

I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I am the same person as the person whose name appears as A B on the register of electors now in force for the constituency of .......................... and that I have not already voted at this election, and that I had attained the age of twenty-one years on....................... (date of coming into force of the register).

Galvasean · 06-06-2009 9:37pm

So... if you have been preteng to be someone else (in effect lying), they think asking you (a liar) to make a promise is a fool proof idea...

jhegarty · 06-06-2009 9:43pm

Galvasean wrote: »

So... if you have been preteng to be someone else (in effect lying), they think asking you (a liar) to make a promise is a fool proof idea...

As they say up north "vote early and vote often".

Húrin · 06-06-2009 11:13pm

Goduznt Xzst wrote: »

If I swore to tell the truth and lied does the Christian God care whether or not his diary is in the room or is this purely a tradition created extraneously to the bible.

Yeah I think it's just a superstition. Christians should not swear on anything. Let yes be yes and no be no, he said.

It just seems farcical in this day and age that instead of refusing to let people with faulty ID's vote, they put their trust in the shoddy understanding that people won't lie with their hand on the Bible.

I never heard of this. I think if someone is suspicious and lacks ID then they shouldn't let them vote. I assumed that was the rule.

Coriolanus · 07-06-2009 12:42pm

You can opt for a non-christian oath, but I think some people have an issue with the fact that the christian oath is the default. As in, you have to declare yourself an atheist to get the other oath. Not a problem for me but it might be for some people.

There were no Garda at the station this year which struck me as odd. Or maybe it was just a fluke that every other time I've voted they were there.

GLaDOS · 07-06-2009 7:06pm

jhegarty wrote: »

The God/Bible has been optional since 63.

The wording is :
I swear by Almighty God that I am the same person as the person whose name appears as A B on the register of electors now in force for the constituency of .......................... and that I have not already voted at this election, and that I had attained the age of twenty-one years on....................... (date of coming into force of the register).

or

I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I am the same person as the person whose name appears as A B on the register of electors now in force for the constituency of .......................... and that I have not already voted at this election, and that I had attained the age of twenty-one years on....................... (date of coming into force of the register).

Em, you can be 18 and vote?

jhegarty · 07-06-2009 8:55pm

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Em, you can be 18 and vote?

It's from 1963.

leeroybrown · 07-06-2009 8:58pm

Urizen wrote: »

Yeah, I wasn't ID'd either... Was anyone?

I was but only because I already had my passport out as my polling card was inside it.

ChocolateSauce · 08-06-2009 11:26pm

I wonder if you refused on the grounds that you weren't Christian would they refuse you a vote?

Somnus · 08-06-2009 11:31pm

Wish I had of heard about this before I went as I would have liked to have a proper look for one. I didn't notice one anyway,I wasn't asked to show ID either

Dinner · 08-06-2009 11:41pm

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

I wonder if you refused on the grounds that you weren't Christian would they refuse you a vote?

Nah as posted above there is an alternative oath if you're non-christian/atheist.

Dr.Poca wrote: »

Wish I had of heard about this before I went as I would have liked to have a proper look for one. I didn't notice one anyway,I wasn't asked to show ID either

The guideline is 1 in 4 people asked for ID. In reality it's usually whoever comes in without a polling card or has their ID already out.

lostexpectation · 09-06-2009 12:04am

somebody go find the rulebook im too lazy

kiffer · 09-06-2009 1:07am

Húrin wrote: »

Yeah I think it's just a superstition. Christians should not swear on anything. Let yes be yes and no be no, he said.

So you would make the affirmation rather than swear on a bible?

Splendour · 09-06-2009 11:57pm

Húrin wrote: »

Yeah I think it's just a superstition. Christians should not swear on anything. Let yes be yes and no be no, he said.

This crossed my mind recently when I had to swear on the bible in court,but as we have to abide by the law of the land I didn't give it too much thought.

jhegarty · 10-06-2009 12:20am

kiffer wrote: »

So you would make the affirmation rather than swear on a bible?

Yes, see my post above.

Splendour wrote: »

This crossed my mind recently when I had to swear on the bible in court,but as we have to abide by the law of the land I didn't give it too much thought.

You don't have to swear on the bible in court, you can affirm there too. No bible or reference to God involved.

Bible on the desk of all voting stations?

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