[Magdalen] Naturalization Ceremony

[Roger Stokes]

On 07/06/2015 22:13, Cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
> In a message dated 6/7/2015 5:04:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com writes:
>
> Indeed,  I wish more of the electorate voted over here as well..  >>>>
>   
> Pennsylvania USA certainly doesn't make it easy for shut-ins to vote.
> I can no longer stand in long lines to get into the local vote  locations,
> so I've turned to absentee balloting.
>   
> There is no master registration for absentee voters, and as a result,
> the red tape applications which go into detail about the nature of the
> disability
> or the out of state location for traveling voters must be completed  each
> time.  If one is permanently disabled, that means forever.
>   
> It's a real nuisance, and I suspect many disabled or elderly voters
> simply opt-out of voting altogether.

Unfortunately that is the probable outcome of such a situation. Some 
years ago the rules om postal ballots in the UK were relaxed so anybody 
can appy for one, and that lasts indefinitely.  All that is needed is a 
UK address for the ballot to be sent to.  Formerly the envelope containg 
the ballot had to be countersigned by somebody else - and no individual 
could countersign more than one envelope.

The relaxed rules do away with that requirement so one person can gey a 
number of electors, some of whom may be suffering from dementia, to 
request a postal ballot and then tell them how to vote.  There are 
strong indications that such actions may have happened.  The problem is 
to enable those who are able to make an informed decision but physically 
limited to cast their vote but also to minimise the possibility of 
"ballot stuffing".

Roger