Internet voting

I found out today that all the candidates for Manor Castle have addresses in the ward. I think this is the first time this has happened in all the years I have been standing. I am very pleased that whoever wins, our new Councillor will know at first hand what it is like to live in our ward.

If you haven’t registered to vote yet, you need to get a move on! Visit
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections/e-voting-pilot-2007

to find out about voting arrangements. Although it is important to make it easy for people to vote, I am not very happy about internet voting. As someone who loves technology and has a blog, this may surprise you- but the trouble is, you can’t physically see internet votes. When you attend the count and see the different piles of votes for the different candidates it is usually clear who the winner is. But with internet votes the returning officer tells you the number cast and the candidates just have to accept it. The whole system just seems open to the possibility of corruption. Call me old fashioned if you like, but I much prefer the good old ballot box. If Sir Bob is reading this, perhaps he can reassure me how it will all work!