I have to confess. I hate Diebald voting machines.

[LordShiva]

No registration? So does that mean I could walk into a polling station and vote?

[LordShiva]

Indian elections are 100% electronic, but our machines don't have stupid features like touch-screens, "advanced' software, etc. - you just push the button next to the candidate you want to vote for, and cast an "electronic ballot." It worked largely flawlessly.

Good for the environment, too - think of the trees needed for 668 million paper ballots.

[Solver]

Originally posted by LordShiva
No registration? So does that mean I could walk into a polling station and vote?

Yes, which is why it's convenient - you walk into any polling station in the country, no prior warning, nothing. Of course, you do get a stamp in your passport so you can't vote a second time.

[Pekka]

Why would you need registeration? IF you are a citizen, you can vote and you are in the list of the ones who can vote.

Of course that means you have to have list of residents in the said region. But since you pay taxes to that region, they have the list. YOu kind of have to let them knwo you live there, because there are taxes etc.

So your name is on that list, prove your identity and vote. Also at least in here you get a letter so you bring that as well, that is sent to your official address. So that boosts the possibility of you actualyl being who you are, instead of fake ID.

[Pekka]

So officials check your letter and passport for example.. then are you in the list.. yes you are, go and vote. Then they'll strike over your name.

Now you can't vote twice OR you can't vote in another region where you are not a resident.

Simple, effective, convinient.

[LordShiva]

I guess it's easier to do that when the electorate is small.

[LordShiva]

I would think a letter would be rather easy to forge.

[LordShiva]

Also, how would they know who to send letters to? It sounds exactly like registration to me. You tell them where you live, and they send you something. Whether it's called a "letter" or a "voter registration card" makes no difference.

[Pekka]

Yeah and you can always fake your identity in any case anyway. You can fake your identity even if you have to register.

Passport is also relatively easy to forge, yes? You can buy all kinds of stuff if you really want to.

Plus there would still be a problem. If you vote with forged letter, that means that there will be two voters of the same name. So you will recognize the problem then, except when the real voter stayed home instead.

This is a REALLY small problem.

[Pekka]

LordShiva, because you don't have to register for it. When you are a resident, that's enough. You don't have to dela with it at all. The letter is automatic.

[Asher]

Passports are much harder to get than voter registration.

I think voter registration is essential to prevent duplicate votes. It's also easier than requiring everyone to have a passport...

[Asher]

Originally posted by Pekka
So officials check your letter and passport for example.. then are you in the list.. yes you are, go and vote. Then they'll strike over your name.

Now you can't vote twice OR you can't vote in another region where you are not a resident.

Simple, effective, convinient.

This is voter registration...

Otherwise you wouldn't be on a list.

[Pekka]

Well, accepted photo ID will do, for example driver's license.

So, with the letter and your ID sinc eyou have to bring both, it's fairly safe. I don't see how official registeration makes this any more secure.

You have forged letter, ok, but you still have to have your ID and it has to match the letter information, and that has to match with the list they have. SUre you can still vote on someones name if they already haven't voted, but that's kind of difficult for the sake of one single vote.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Pekka
Well, accepted photo ID will do, for example driver's license.

So, with the letter and your ID sinc eyou have to bring both, it's fairly safe. I don't see how official registeration makes this any more secure.

What you're describing is voter registration, and is only different by name.

You bring your "voting card", or "letter", and a piece of valid ID and you go vote.

In Canada, you don't even need a real voting card -- you just need proof of residency in that riding. So an electricity bill, phone bill, etc + government ID = vote.

[Pekka]

Asher, ok. I can accept that. But I just understand registeration to be something you register for directly. Since you have to do absolutely no work, send no mail, contact no one to get this done once you have moved and let them know your new address, and you only have to do it once anyway, for the sake of you having a known address... I think it's a bit different. Sure it is still registering.