To think our govt is capable of rigging an election

[Waypastshitcreek]

With everything in the news about what they pulled with and during covid, them acting as a bunch of Eton bully boys above the rules (let's face it they probably got up to all sorts at Eton to)...we litterally can't trust them any more surely ... surely they're capable of anything deceitful now...

What really scares me us that if there was a genuine pandemic like Ebola or anything deadly the public would be like yeah right, F Off, see you down the pub in half an hour!

When you say capable do you mean,
1-they would if they could
or
2- yes they would easily be able to get away with it.
I think they would if they could but I also think/hope that we have systems in place, checks and balances etc such that they couldn't get away with it.

However a botched attempt to rig the election could very well be used by the rigging and losing party as a prelude to reject the result with "hilarious" results.

Personally I don't "respect" the outcome of the Brexit vote, as it was bought with a dud cheque that as we are now seeing is bouncing. However I accept that the count of votes was correct so am happy to live on and let reality correct itself.

However, if the vote had been accompanied by pictures of people appearing from nowhere to remove ballot boxes for "inspection" and matching pictures of ballot boxes being "found" in counting halls, it might not have been so.

The last, dying gasp of this godforsaken Tory nightmare could be to weaken the very democracy that ejected them.

What difficulty? Please explain clearly what is stopping them from accessing a free and easily available ID?

As stated there are people available to read/process the form on their behalf. All you need to do is turn up with your NI number.

I have had to do this myself so I know exactly what/how to do it.

Trump was 3 to 1 with the bookies to win on the eve of his 2016 election win. Brexit was 3 to 1 to win the referendum. So, 25% chances and they both came in.
The Tories are at about the same odds to be the biggest party after the next election. I wouldnt write them off.

If you know exactly how to do it then you will know it requires organisational skills, access to your NI number (or ability to use a website to request it, or initiative to seek out someone to help you do this), a degree of literacy or somebody who can support you with this. Yes, there might be people who can - but many people will now know about this or will have such anxiety that they can't/ won't simply go and access it.

The process also requires initiative, ability to follow the process to access the ID, knowing about it in the first place (I haven't personally seen a huge amount of public information about this - I think I've heard one single radio advert about it).

It requires the ability to plan times and dates and understand the timescale in which this has to be completed in order to get it in time to be eligible to vote.

To you and me, yes of course, these are extremely straightforward things to do.

But they do require a certain degree of executive function which some of the most vulnerable people in our society simply do not possess.

Uptake of this has been minimal for a reason.

They won’t need to now they’ve bribed the average Brexit voter with ‘deport them all forever’

I doubt it tbh, we don't seem to do riots in this country, we just take it all lying down 🙄😣

Odd how the most vulnerable people in other countries don't have difficulty accessing voter ID!

The poorest part of the UK is Northern Ireland. And the most vulnerable there have little issues accessing voter ID.

England, Scotland and Wales are all considerably richer, in comparison. The most vulnerable there are NOT more incapable than those in Northern Ireland or other countries. That's the implication of your post. 🤦‍♂️

Accessing voter ID for free isn't difficult and councils are helping people with it too. Those who are eligible for free voter ID can also choose not to enfranchise themselves as is their right.

A requirement for voter ID isn't undemocratic, unfair or illegal. You'd have a point if voter ID wasn't free, but it is. 🤷‍♂️

Considering most riots results in destruction and criminal damage,

Of course they are capable of it.

However if they have any sense they won't be rigging it in their favour.

The fact that its paper ballots being counted worries me. Who actually is monitoring this shit?

The Returning Officers: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-returning-officers-administering-local-government-elections-england/returning-officer/returning-officer-role-and-responsibilities

I agree about the dishonesty and corruption, but if it's elections you're thinking of you'd do better to look at boundary changes, etc.

However you want to frame it, voter ID makes it harder, rather than easier, for vulnerable people to vote. Why would you want that?

Furthermore, voter fraud by the general public is absolutely miniscule to the point of being insignificant, and it (conveniently) results in more Tory votes.

Again, this is cobblers.

Refer yet again to the reality of voter ID in Northern Ireland, an integral part of the UK, which deals with your presumption regarding the vulnerable.

That concern is exactly why the Electoral Commission recommended making it free for them and pointed to Northern Ireland as an outstanding success of that.

And the Electoral Commission made the point years ago that voter ID was really intended to boost confidence in the electoral system, especially as societies become more polarised which we've seen in the West over the last decade. It's not intended to prevent fraud given the low numbers.

Any other objections? 🤦‍♂️

You used to have the right to vote.

Now you only have the right to vote if you obtain one of the approved documents, if you present the correct documents for inspection, and if an official agrees that your photo ID is a good likeness.

They couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery, let alone rig an election.

The Constituencies have been gerrymandered too.

Jeremy Hunt's majority shrunk from 28,000 in 2015 to 8,000 in 2019 so they more or less divided his South West Surrey constituency in half and he will contest the half that didn't support the Lib Dem candidate on the doorsteps at the next election.

How much more useless, dysfunctional & incompetent would this government have to be before people realise they are incapable of organising anything, never mind rigging an election?

Because it's never the whole govt, all that's needed is a core team of individuals who using a cell type structure subcontract different parts of the plan,

@ClassicLib

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clandestine_cell_system

@RiktheButler - re working at a count -

Spot on - I have been an observer at a count ( Local elections not general elections ) but there was no way this could have been rigged in either way. And @Fluffygreenslippers - yes paper votes but lots of people from all parties are in the room , observing , to make sure counting is done properly.

Voter ID is an attempt to alter the vote. The types of ID that are acceptable discriminate against younger people, and favour those more likely to vote Tory. That's a simple fact. Other countries do use voter ID, but they also use ID for normal every day use. Everyone has ID there - and younger voters are not disenfranchised.
I've worked as an elections manager for 20+ years in local authorities and have never had a single case of suspected voter fraud. We have had many examples of political parties breaking the rules, including some individuals who were locked up as a result of fraud. But the new rules won't stop that - only stop voters who have done nothing wrong.
The much bigger issue, though, is the manipulation of many by the Tory-leaning press. Most people believe most of what they read in the media, and follow the party line and vote for them because they think it will help. Think about why the stories about refugees keep coming out - there are not that many of these desparate people trying to get help, but by labelling them as 'illegal' and making out they are the cause of all our problems, and then claiming the Tory scum have the solution is enough to get some people to vote for them.

Honestly I doubt this current government could rig an election - it would require vision, the ability to plan and cooperation between ministers - none of which have been in evidence recently

The also put microchips in the vaccines 😂

Labour are lazy louts and I wouldn't put it past them!

Don't confuse the dears, why on earth should they need any experience to have an opinion!!! Are people too thick to know that paper ballots have always been counted, whoever won?