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Instead of arguing over what day to hold polls, why not just issue national voter IDs

  • 11-11-2012 7:15pm
    #1
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭


    There's an eternal argument about what day polls should be held on. Students say that holding them on a Thursday makes it impossible for them to vote as many don't live in their home counties, while a Saturday poll draws ire from those who are away for the weekend, have family commitments, etc.

    A general election is one thing because of the difference between candidates, obviously.
    But a referendum is a simple yes or not question, and it's uniform across the country. Why is it necessary to split a poll like that into constituencies? What's the point?
    Why not just issue everyone with a unique voter number, nationally, and allow them to use this polling card (along with ID such as a passport or age card or whatever) to vote in any polling station nationwide? What are the drawbacks of this? With a unique voter number and an ID being required, the argument that it would make fraud easier seems incredibly unlikely.

    Why has this never been done before? It would solve so many problems. Wherever you're going to be, just bring your polling card and passport and vote in whatever polling station happens to be near you at the time. Problem?


Comments

  • #2
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,820 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    hatrickpatrick wrote: »
    Students say that holding them on a Thursday makes it impossible for them to vote as many don't live in their home counties...
    Which is bollox, because they are eligible for a postal vote.

    As to the rest of your point: it's not workable for polls other than referendums, so it's a whole bunch of work that has no benefit for normal electoral purposes. It's not an inherently bad idea, but I don't see it happening.


  • #3
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    oscarBravo wrote: »
    Which is bollox, because they are eligible for a postal vote.

    It's double bollox because there's also nothing to stop them changing their registration to the constituency where they attend college.


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