Multiple ballots

Like Shane Greer I know of a number of people who have received more than one ballot paper for the mayoral section, one of whom has received four! Apparently the forms don't even state that it is against the rules to vote more than once.

Has anyone else had this experience? Although a database error has presumably sent duplicates out at random it would be worrying for the legitimacy of the selection if it was a widespread occurence.

12.30pm (Sept 12th) clarification from a party spokesman:

"Rigorous systems are in place to recognise if someone has voted more than once and each voter will only have a single vote counted. There are instances when members may have received more than one ballot paper if they have been members in more than one place."

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem isn't just down to being a member in different places, but it's reassuring to know that the party can somehow filter out multiple votes anyway.

Deputy Editor

Comments

[Richard]

I am fairly certain that the old declaration form used to make you declare that you had only voted once!

[Kevin Davis]

I don't think it is going to be close enough it to matter

[Matt]

I've has two forms sent to me. (un?)fortunately Kevin is probably right.

[Neil Reddin]

I'm a member of two associations - the one where I live and the one where I'm a councillor - so I received two ballots (my electoral roll voter number was on one of the packs).

I've only voted once though - as Kevin Davis says, it's hardly going to matter.

[Sarkis Zeronian]

So far as I know I'm a member of just one Association, but have also received 2 ballots. A costly exercise for a foregone conclusion!

Never mind, the ballot paper asks me to bung in a campaign contribution too so that should cover a few multiple ones.

[Moral minority]

Perhaps this is a way to inflate the membership figures. The media assume one person, one vote but the reality is very different. I have heard stories of ex-members, resigned or lapsed, receiving ballot papers too. Another member received a ballot paper addressed to his late wife.

Vote early, vote often!

[James]

I have 3 and I know several people with 3 or 4 each....each has a different variation of my name. I have sent one back but hey, as we are all voting for Boris anyway, I might let my other 2 go to one of the others, just so they get into double figures...no maybe not! Boris is the only contender!

[top of the shot]

Have a thought for those members who are actively involved in London constituencies but have moved to just outside London - they did not get a vote. I have no doubt that whoever is selected, will expect those members to tramp the streets for them !

[Jonny]

I also received 2 and they had completely different security codes on for the internet voting.
I am also only a member of 1 association.

Surely this waste of paper damages our environment credentials which we seem to be doing our utmost to increase!

[Matthew Scott]

i got three

[Moral minority]

"we are all voting for Boris anyway"

There speaks the voice of party democracy. LOL! Boris, the only candidate with the party logo on his literature, looks like the official CCHQ candidate. So we are supposed to endorse multiple voting. This farce would shame a dictatorship in a banana republic.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

My mother has had two ballot papers. My friend in Westminster, who joined the Party last year, is yet to receive a ballot paper. A very senior elected Conservative I spoke to at Monday's central London hustings received five papers and another, an Area Officer, had three. This is beyond a joke.

[Paul]

Of course Boris will win, however I fear he will come unstuck in the campaign. The other three candidates all have wonderful potential, Victoria Borwick is great, it's a shame at a time when the party wants to select more women the CCHQ candidate will triumph and make the result look like a general election from the old Iraq or from one of Hitler's plebiscites!!

[Gregory Stafford]

I got 3 and my brother got 2. !

[Londoner]

Moral minority says: "I have heard stories of ex-members, resigned or lapsed, receiving ballot papers too." That doesn't matter as the ballot is not restricted to members. All it means is that these people can vote without having paid their £1.50 registration fee. As former members one could argue that they might have paid in enough to be exempted that anyway. For the same reason, the turn-out figure will not be very meaningful, although it will be interesting to know at the end how many of those who voted were members (and others) sent unsolicited ballot papers, and how many were non-member registrants.

[Baskerville]

Surely, if CCHQ identifies anyone who votes more than once, ALL their votes should be disqualified.

[John Moss]

The party pre-registered everybody who had a membership record even those whose membership had lapsed, Conservative Club members etc. I thought this was a magnanimous and thoughtful gesture on their behalf. At one point they were not even going to pre-register paid-up members, which could have seen an extremely low turnout.

I would take exception to the comments about whether this will matter.

On the evidence of the first two hustings, members are arriving with ballot papers in hand, clearly waiting to be convinced by the candidates.

Just because the MP for somewhere not in London is a media darling, doesn't mean he cuts it with the London membership, who, because of the above, will certainly form a substantial majority of the ballot.

[Jennifer Wells]

Good point Baskerville! I agree.

[Nick]

I got two, but only sent one in. (I've kept the other one if Justin Hinchcliffe's friend would like it...)

I assumed this was because I joined the Party originally through the national web site, then joined my local association - presumably as I've paid twice I've got two entries on their database and have thus received two ballot papers.

[Londoner]

"Just because the MP for somewhere not in London is a media darling, doesn't mean he cuts it with the London membership"

No, John Moss, it doesn't. But nor does it mean that when they hear him speak and he reveals himself as a statesmanlike and thoughtful act, with a real enthusiasm and love of London, (as he did last night at the hustings in Ilford - see other thread - if not at the earlier hustings on Monday) that they won't vote for him on merit. For "media darling", read "someone who the average London voter has heard of, usually quite like and will take the time to listen to".

[D Roberts]

It's simple if you get more than one ballot paper - fill one in and chuck the rest... anyone who is confused or uses more than one is moron. come on grow up.
Next we will be saying all Conservative should be in favour of increased taxes and penalising the poor.... oh whoops thats what the rich enviro fascists have proposed today.