Register of Elections - doorstep callers

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Ash

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The other night a person came to the door checking out who lived in the house and wanting to register all those over 18 on the election register.
I heard there was a campaign to do this but I'm not sure who instigated it or who is funding it.
Anyway, I have a fundamental problem with this approach.
Voting is not compulsory in this country.
Neither is registering on the roll of electors.
In my opinion, calling on doorsteps and asking for details of everyone living there including date of birth is not on. Not at my house anyway.
If a person is interested in casting their vote, surely they're interested in actively going and putting themselves on the register.
Besides, being on the register leaves a person open to less welcome attention, e.g. summons for jury service and finding oneself on mailing lists.
 
Perhaps http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/doeipub.nsf/wvInfoView/8750457E69584816802570AC00402DFB?OpenDocument&Lang=en (this press release) might have something to do with this nefarious conspiracy by the state to crush us by forcing us to participate in their heinous democratic system?
 
[quote=ClubMan;286048] forcing us to participate in their heinous democratic system?[/quote]
I thought those words were a bit strong after all there was a number of IRISHMEN in the past hung in kilmainham and thousands executed in 98 to try and get us poor idiots that right and a cupola years of war in the 20s to keep the right, and how many poor souls are giving their lives today around the world to get what we have. Luckily enough we wont have to contact our ministers to help us with anything,ie; like a son or family member locked up in foreign country on some stupid charge etc, Id know what I'd do if I was a minister and that person who never voted came to me for help.
I think when you have that right you should use it to what ever you like and be thankful you have that right, because it was'nt free.
 
Ash said:
Besides, being on the register leaves a person open to less welcome attention, e.g. summons for jury service and finding oneself on mailing lists.
Click to expand...

There is an electoral roll which can be used for mailing list purposes, but there is also the option of opting out of this (and I was offered this option by the guy who called to my door)

I personally don't mind whether or not someone opts into the electoral roll. I think there more important part is to verify who is on the roll - e.g. if someone was listed as living at a particular address years after having moved away, potentially allowing them to vote more than once.
 
Ash said:
The other night a person came to the door checking out who lived in the house and wanting to register all those over 18 on the election register.
I heard there was a campaign to do this but I'm not sure who instigated it or who is funding it.
Anyway, I have a fundamental problem with this approach.
Voting is not compulsory in this country.
Neither is registering on the roll of electors.
In my opinion, calling on doorsteps and asking for details of everyone living there including date of birth is not on. Not at my house anyway.
If a person is interested in casting their vote, surely they're interested in actively going and putting themselves on the register.
Besides, being on the register leaves a person open to less welcome attention, e.g. summons for jury service and finding oneself on mailing lists.
Click to expand...

So what did you say to the person that called to your door?
 
ubiquitous said:
Er, did you not participate in the April 2006 Census?
Click to expand...

Given the OP's comments in the op, I think that taking part in the census would have involved giving too much information to "the man" as well and leave themselves even further open to unwelcome attention.
 
bit I didn't understand ( or like) is when he asked me my dob and mrs cu's dob. understood it for the two juniors ( both now over 18) but obviously I was over 18 and so was mrs cu ( unless she gave birth at a minus age:rolleyes:) so why did he want our dobs. didnt give them as it transpired, just told him we were 'old enough' and he walked away.
 
bit I didn't understand ( or like) is when he asked me my dob and mrs cu's dob. understood it for the two juniors ( both now over 18) but obviously I was over 18 and so was mrs cu ( unless she gave birth at a minus age:rolleyes:) so why did he want our dobs. didnt give them as it transpired, just told him we were 'old enough' and he walked away
Click to expand...

I suppose to verify you are who you say you are?
 
cuchulainn said:
bit I didn't understand ( or like) is when he asked me my dob and mrs cu's dob. understood it for the two juniors ( both now over 18) but obviously I was over 18 and so was mrs cu ( unless she gave birth at a minus age:rolleyes:) so why did he want our dobs. didnt give them as it transpired, just told him we were 'old enough' and he walked away.
Click to expand...

presumably this was to
(1) distinguish you from others of the same or similar names in the locality
(2) provide some line of defence in case someone (ie a political party) objected to your names being listed on the register, and/or applied for you to be removed from the register on the basis that your details are unverified.
 
There is an implied mandatory nature of the exercise.
Look at the yellow sheet that was delivered:
"the form MUST be returned within 5 working days....
Please note that you are required to complete and return this form whether or not you are already on the Electoral Register."
Then in big red lettering:
Failure to complete and return this form could result in your name being omitted from the Electoral Register"
Also, on the form to fill out:
"Declaration: ...It is an offence to fail to give the registration authority any information required for the purposes of its duties..."

Actually, our names were already on the register and have been for many elections now. We have always used that vote when possible. That is not the point at issue here. We know many people worldwide have struggled for that right. But the right to choose not to vote, or not be on the Register is just as valid. Going around and harvesting information like this is, in our opinion, wrong. And possibly the most obvious result of it will be to show a smaller percentage poll in future elections.
We were not told at the time about the "Edited Register".
We did participate in the Census, which is compulsory, although having seen that particular form, I wonder what real value it has, or previous ones have had, since for instance, our roads and schools are not adequate for today's needs.
 
Ash said:
We were not told at the time about the "Edited Register".
Click to expand...
I filled in a registration form a few weeks ago and it contained a clear explanation about .

If you don't like the mandatory nature of the voter registration process then why not lobby your elected representatives to change this?
 
A guy called to my door a few weeks ago and I was happy to give him my details. I don't see why you have a problem with it Art. Do you think the government should not check the electoral register?
 
Ash said:
But the right to choose... not be on the Register is just as valid.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If you opt to remain off the register, then there is an increased risk that your personal details may be used by someone else to illegally register themselves to vote in your name, for example at a different address. Unless you are already registered at your actual address, the authorities are much less likely to discover the fraud. If your vote is misused in that way, its misuse infringes the rights of all citizens under our "one person one vote" system.
 
I don't like this campaign either. It just seems stupid to me. I don't understand why they can't just have a big advertising campaign (in different languages if necessary) encouraging people to vote. And if it really was necessary to collect this information door-to-door, then they should have done it at the SAME TIME as the census.

Giving the government information rarely works in favour of the information-giver, in my experience. It's not like they actually use it to plan! If anything at all is done with it, and I have my doubts, it seems to be an exercise in keeping the civil service and political party number crunchers busy.

Our particularly nosey and grating interviewer called on a Sunday afternoon. I know it's hard to catch people in but even the SKY and Perlico people give it a rest on a Sunday!

Rebecca
 
Calling to people's doors to verify who lives there now and taking some details to verify you are who you say you are is vital in my opinion.
The electoral register is very out of date and many people would not take the time or the effort to seek to be put on the register if someone did not call to their door.
I would say you are in a very small mirority if you object to this
 
If they can't be bothered to get on the register, they're not likely to be hammering the door down to vote.

I don't mind them sorting out the register, although I don't think the system is very corrupt from this point of view. I just have issues with the way they have decided to do it. Why not have more stringent checks at the actual polling station if they think there are lots of fraudulent voters?

As for being in the minority on this issue, I feel that most people couldn't care less about the whole thing and having an opinion on way or the other, would put you in minority pretty quickly.

Rebecca
 
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