Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Where do political parties get your address from ?

Options
2»

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    surely they throw away the paper list they use on the day

    Nope, they throw away the expensive machines that couldn't print the same paper list..... :rolleyes:


  • Options
    #33
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,804 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    surely they throw away the paper list they use on the day
    Why would they do that?


  • Options
    #34
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    oscarBravo wrote: »
    Why would they do that?

    well surely its just a photocopy that covers that polling station for that day.

    anyway i'd be interested in somebody foi'ing the parties to get the information they have on them, i've been personal canvassed so there won't be much on me.

    she shay brennan's registered canvas etc.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0527/1224247502726.html


  • Options
    #35
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,804 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    well surely its just a photocopy that covers that polling station for that day.
    As people vote, they get marked off the list. The list of people who voted (and who didn't vote) becomes part of the official record for the election. You have a constitutional right to privacy as to who you voted for, but not as to whether or not you voted.


  • Options
    #36
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Why is it necessary for political parties to spam me directly? Perhaps I don't want to know about their policies? Also if there are 4 people in a house why do they waste so much money spamming everyone in the house when 1 would do. The state should not be picking up the tab for their marketing efforts.

    I would love to be able to opt out of electoral spam.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    eimear1
    Registered Users Posts: 196 ✭✭eimear1


    This was a question i was wondering about also. In my case, i am temporarily living at an address which is outside my own electoral area, however, have not contemplated changing my vote to this area as i will not be here long and want to vote for those who will serve the constituency where i will be living long-term. They are under the same county council but seperate constituencies.
    Recently received the "litir um thoghchan" from several parties addressed to my new address. I always presumed that, as these are paid for by the state because every candidate is entitled to send 1 piece of literature to every voter, this would go by the electoral register, yet i am not on the register at new address?? If people are being put on the list for this mailout because they bought a tv licence or taxed a car, is this not creating a mass of extra mailouts that are not warranted, but the parties do not care as they are not paying for this??

    As regards who knows whether you voted or not, every candidate also has the right to have an agent present at any polling booth who receives a copy of the register for that area and is informed of the identity of each voter as they come in, and they can keep a record that way. The agent can also be present for the sealing of the boxes at the end of the polling day.


  • Options
    #38
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    eimear1 wrote: »
    Recently received the "litir um thoghchan" from several parties addressed to my new address. I always presumed that, as these are paid for by the state because every candidate is entitled to send 1 piece of literature to every voter, this would go by the electoral register, yet i am not on the register at new address?? If people are being put on the list for this mailout because they bought a tv licence or taxed a car, is this not creating a mass of extra mailouts that are not warranted, but the parties do not care as they are not paying for this??
    They should only be using the electoral register for the purposes of sending the "litir um thoghchan". Afaik the state only pays for the postage and the parties must pay for the leaflets.
    eimear1 wrote: »
    As regards who knows whether you voted or not, every candidate also has the right to have an agent present at any polling booth who receives a copy of the register for that area and is informed of the identity of each voter as they come in, and they can keep a record that way. The agent can also be present for the sealing of the boxes at the end of the polling day.
    I don't see of what use that is to the political parties as they cannot find out how you have voted.


  • Options
    #39
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    oscarBravo wrote: »
    As people vote, they get marked off the list. The list of people who voted (and who didn't vote) becomes part of the official record for the election. You have a constitutional right to privacy as to who you voted for, but not as to whether or not you voted.

    well the only useful info is turnout? and presumably they have made a note of that to figure out the quota as the work out who won, so they count that and then throw them out?


  • Options
    #40
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,804 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    well the only useful info is turnout?
    Depends on how you define "useful".
    ...and presumably they have made a note of that to figure out the quota as the work out who won, so they count that and then throw them out?
    No, they don't. I'm still not clear (a) why you think they do, and (b) why you think they should.


  • Options
    #41
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    i think it should be explained why they keep it,its not up to me, there a lot of talk about how the parties do their tallies and keep the info, and especially in small areas inconjunction this other info, this can breach the secrecy of the ballot to great degree.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #42
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    i think it should explained why they keep it,its not up to me, there a lot of talk about how the parties do their tallies and keep the info, and especially in small areas inconjunction this other info, this can breach the secrecy of the ballot to great degree.
    As the ballot is secret and the box is sealed there is no way they can find out what way any particular person voted.

    All they can gleam is who has voted so as the turnout can be established. Nothing else.
    What other info are you referring to?


  • Options
    #43
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,804 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    ...this can breach the secrecy of the ballot to great degree.
    Nope. The question of whether or not an individual showed up to vote is a matter of public record, by simple virtue of the fact that polling stations are public places. It is logically impossible for it to be a secret that you did or didn't show up to vote.

    The fact that the same information is preserved in written form after the election is not a breach of privacy. Voter privacy extends only to the information you write on your ballot paper.


  • Options
    #44
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    well i was expanding the point inregard to other stuff when i said it may be a breach of secrecy of the ballot, paraphrasing others.

    but again why do they keep a list of who voted?


  • Options
    #45
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    So they know who to ignore when canvasing I imagine.

    Or who not to bother doing favors for because if your not going to vote then you don't matter to them.

    Those kind of reasons I imagine.


  • Options
    #46
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    they?


  • Options
    #47
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    they?
    Political parties, councillors, TDs etc.


Advertisement