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Blood-stained ballot paper

Pipp said:
If there is a possibility that the staining could cause confusion about where you placed your cross, then your ballot paper would be rejected and your vote not counted.
I would be inclined to request a new ballot paper from my local council electoral registration office.
https://www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk#postal-voting
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Are you in the UK? Voting begins tomorrow morning.
 
Listlad said:
I presume it’s a fair distance to the “local” poling station?
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About 500 metres as the crows fly to mine, but if you live out past the Black Stump way outback of Woop Woop near the Never Never you might be a postal voter as well.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Are you in the UK? Voting begins tomorrow morning.
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Yes, @Mr_Pot , UK. Postal votes go earlier than those at Polling stations.
As outlined in the link previously, to get a replacement postal vote ballot paper you need to go to local council electoral registration office, (usually your council administration offices, but this will vary) before 5pm on polling day. Obviously it is no use then going and putting it in a post box to be mailed, but you can take it to a local polling station. You cannot just turn up at polling station to either vote, or request a replacement from them , as others have suggested.

edit:
Relevant info on postal vote paper from uk government info:
Replace a lost or damaged ballot paper
Your ballot paper needs to clearly display your details and voting choice. If it has been damaged you need to get another one.

You can either:

  • ask your local Electoral Registration Office to post a replacement
  • collect a replacement from your local Electoral Registration Office up to 5pm on election day (or the day before in Northern Ireland)
You cannot vote at a polling station if you registered to vote by post but your ballot paper was lost or damaged.
 
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Pipp said:
Yes, @Mr_Pot , UK. Postal votes go earlier than those at Polling stations.
As outlined in the link previously, to get a replacement postal vote ballot paper you need to go to local council electoral registration office, (usually your council administration offices, but this will vary) before 5pm on polling day. Obviously it is no use then going and putting it in a post box to be mailed, but you can take it to a local polling station. You cannot just turn up at polling station to either vote, or request a replacement from them , as others have suggested.

edit:
Relevant info on postal vote paper from uk government info:
Replace a lost or damaged ballot paper
Your ballot paper needs to clearly display your details and voting choice. If it has been damaged you need to get another one.

You can either:

  • ask your local Electoral Registration Office to post a replacement
  • collect a replacement from your local Electoral Registration Office up to 5pm on election day (or the day before in Northern Ireland)
You cannot vote at a polling station if you registered to vote by post but your ballot paper was lost or damaged.
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That's useful information, I didn't realise you could get a replacement as late as that. however I had assumed the OP couldn't get to a polling station, as otherwise she would not have wanted a postal vote in the first place.
 
Mr_Pot said:
That's useful information, I didn't realise you could get a replacement as late as that. however I had assumed the OP couldn't get to a polling station, as otherwise she would not have wanted a postal vote in the first place.
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There are many reasons why people may request to be a postal voters, for myself if was because one year I knew I just wouldn't be around at the time (was going to be abroad at the time of the vote) - and until you tell them otherwise you stay a postal voter (therefore I'm still one), but yeah there are probably a variety of different reasons why people would want to be a postal voter (you don't need to give a reason as far as I remember) - ie. not just cos they cant get there :) (PS this is just for information :))
 
I am not going to query anyone’s reasons for postal voting @Mr_Pot.
I registered for postal votes a few years ago, when I was housebound for much of the time. The choice was for a single election, or until I requested to return to voting at polling station. I have chosen to continue with postal voting, even though I am now more capable of voting in person, as in recent years have spent long periods away from home, and so it was convenient in view of the frequency of recent elections. It has made me think it was a good option. The downside with postal voting is that you need to post your ballot paper at least a week before election date. That means if you discover something about a politician that makes you change your mind at the last minute, it is too late. Hence my reason for knowing about the option to take a postal ballot form to polling station on day of election. For first time in my life, I am in position of not beingable to find any feature in the candidates that deserve my kiss next to their name. Will see if anyprove themselves worthy before polls close tomorrow.

@Alexandra100 , I hope you managed to sort your ballot paper and have been able to cast your vote.
 
We're compelled to vote in Australia. Made my choice easy ... postal. You don't respect my right NOT to vote, so don't expect me to attend a polling booth. I choose no-one on the form, scrawl my signature as a mark of defiance and post it
 
Mike D said:
We're compelled to vote in Australia. Made my choice easy ... postal. You don't respect my right NOT to vote, so don't expect me to attend a polling booth. I choose no-one on the form, scrawl my signature as a mark of defiance and post it
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Been there and done that as well...
 
Mike D said:
We're compelled to vote in Australia. Made my choice easy ... postal. You don't respect my right NOT to vote, so don't expect me to attend a polling booth. I choose no-one on the form, scrawl my signature as a mark of defiance and post it
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Doesn't sound like compulsory voting is working very well!
Our "first past the post" system means that as mine is not one of the few marginal seats my vote doesn't make much difference but I vote anyway.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Doesn't sound like compulsory voting is working very well!
Our "first past the post" system means that as mine is not one of the few marginal seats my vote doesn't make much difference but I vote anyway.
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There are pluses and minuses and I agree with you. Getting too deep into preferential voting the way it is here, but it's a joke where the fringe rubbish have representation far above their true vote value
 
I have voted in every single election, local and national, since I was 21 (you had to be 21 in those days). That is 50 years of voting. Only one postal vote when we were away on holiday when I checked the box to have just that particular postal vote. The rest have all been at polling stations. I have never spoiled a ballot paper. To be able to vote at all was hard won back in history.
Those that don't vote, or who spoil the paper, in my mind, have no right to complain about the result.
 
Before this thread spins too far off the rails, I would remind everyone that we have a very clear forum rule that says

A3. Respect others’ differences. Do not disparage because they do not share your opinion or way of doing things.

Expressing disrespect of others who do not share your political opinions and voting choices is therefore, most definitely, against our forum rules, and any further posts of this nature will be deleted.
 
You do not have to give reason for requesting a postal vote but it is different for proxy voting my grandson would of had to get the form or print it out fill it in giving his reasons get it validated by a tutor then return it by post.

He has an exam today so could not return home to vote so he has recently ergistered in Lincoln as well as here as long as you vote in one place or the other but not both thats OK.

I suppose having blood on your ballot paper is rather similar to doing a deal with the Devil.
 
Alexandra100 said:
This morning I did my usual fasting finger prick test at about 7am, then hours later started to fill in my postal vote form. Suddenly there were splashes of blood in several places. Efforts to wipe them off failed. Now I am wondering if Health and Safety regs will mean my vote cannot be counted. Does anyone have any ideas about this?
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You will never know but unless your x was obscured, I very much doubt it but you will never know if they took you for a Faragist 'spoler' or just a leaky fingered diabetic!
 
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