London Elects has promised to investigate allegations ballot papers were spoilt by election officials in Croydon yesterday.
A BBC journalist has claimed his ballot paper was spoilt by a polling official at the Oval Primary School polling booth in Cherry Orchard Road who wrote his voting card number on the back of the ballot paper.
A spokesman for the election organiser said it was looking in to the report but had not yet found any evidence of ballot tampering in Croydon.
He said a change of ballot paper format could have confused some staff and led them to mark yesterday's votes, despite being told in training not to.
In past years, voting cards had carried numbers that were torn off and collected separately from the ballot papers.
"The members of staff involved will never be employed at polling stations again," he said.
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"We take this very seriously and apologise to anyone whose vote was affected."
Croydon returning officer Jon Rouse said there had been no voting irregularities reported in the borough.
"We are at the count and there is no evidence of irregular practice so far," Mr Rouse said in an email.
A Croydon Council spokesman added: "We can categorically say that no ballot papers have been tampered with from the polling station in question.
"The ballot box has now been opened to count and no polling cards have been tampered with by polling station staff."
London Elects officials ordered an investigation in to a similar incident in Lambeth during yesterday's mayoral and London Assembly vote.
London Elects said then it was investigating what it described as an "isolated incident" in Lambeth where polling clerks had written what is thought to be the voting card numbers on 10 people's ballot papers.
A spokesman said any mark other than the voter's cross on the ballot paper made it invalid.
Posted by: Vera Williams, london SE25 6QF on 9:45am Fri 2 May 08
Having written the number of the polling paper, the voter is easily identified. Is this a covert activity to disallow some peoples votes. I would be interested to find out where this has happened across London and the ethnicity of the people who's votes have been disallowed. The corruption is getting worse. My polling station was using a cardboard box to put the votes in. How useful if there was a fire.
Having written the number of the polling paper, the voter is easily identified. Is this a covert activity to disallow some peoples votes. I would be interested to find out where this has happened across London and the ethnicity of the people who's votes have been disallowed. The corruption is getting worse. My polling station was using a cardboard box to put the votes in. How useful if there was a fire.
Government in the UK is now so corrupt that I wonder if voting is genuinely counted. It seems that 99 out of 100 people are disgusted with Ken Livingstone, but somehow he got power four years ago.
Government in the UK is now so corrupt that I wonder if voting is genuinely counted. It seems that 99 out of 100 people are disgusted with Ken Livingstone, but somehow he got power four years ago.
Posted by: C, Worceter Park on 11:53am Fri 2 May 08
After I cast my vote yesterday (Which I found extreamly confusing) I left the polling station to be confronted by a man who then asked me who I had voted for...! Can anyone tell me if that is legal considering I stood in a private booth to vote?
To add to the matter, when I politely declined from discussing my choices the man was rather rude. I dont understand!
After I cast my vote yesterday (Which I found extreamly confusing) I left the polling station to be confronted by a man who then asked me who I had voted for...! Can anyone tell me if that is legal considering I stood in a private booth to vote?
To add to the matter, when I politely declined from discussing my choices the man was rather rude. I dont understand!
Posted by: matthew, lambeth on 5:25pm Fri 2 May 08
I was most puzzled when i voted in lambeth and had to complete my form in an open area not a cubicle and then i was not allowed to fold the papers but had to hand them over open to the officer who them put them in the box.
what worried me is that as my mark was only in pencil - no pens were available - it could easily be erased and replaced with a mark fro another candidate or indeed extra marks could be fraudulently added 'by accident' which woudl invalidate my papers.
Of further concern was that the ballot boxes were slimsy cardboard boxes and that 30 of them were found to be open before counting started at alexandra palace according to reports. what a co-incedance that it is open to fraud.
lastly i am concerned that it woudl appear that some voters were marking 1sta nd second preference votes for the same person yet we were told we could not - while london elects remains conveniently silent on the issue! is this a stitch up by red ken?
I was most puzzled when i voted in lambeth and had to complete my form in an open area not a cubicle and then i was not allowed to fold the papers but had to hand them over open to the officer who them put them in the box.
what worried me is that as my mark was only in pencil - no pens were available - it could easily be erased and replaced with a mark fro another candidate or indeed extra marks could be fraudulently added 'by accident' which woudl invalidate my papers.
Of further concern was that the ballot boxes were slimsy cardboard boxes and that 30 of them were found to be open before counting started at alexandra palace according to reports. what a co-incedance that it is open to fraud.
lastly i am concerned that it woudl appear that some voters were marking 1sta nd second preference votes for the same person yet we were told we could not - while london elects remains conveniently silent on the issue! is this a stitch up by red ken?
Posted by: Richard, Croydon on 1:23am Sat 3 May 08
Oooh, Conspiracy, conspiracy. You lot need to get a life!!! The ballot papers can't be folded as they go into an automatic counting machine. Everyone is human and a very small number of mistakes can occur with staff being unsure of a new voting system. You're just trying to make yourselves feel much more important than you actually are. You have no idea of what a rigged election is, or the horrible consequences of a truly corrupt government. If this govt. was so hell bent on cheating "Joe Public" and giving themselves arbitrary and undeserved powers, why bring in the Constitutional reform act, or the Human rights act, or the freedom of information act. More positive constitutional steps have been taken in the last decade in this country than in the 30 years prior to that. Instead of all this sly winking and elbow nudging about corruption, why not try reading about a topic before you try to discuss it like you know something!! Grow Up!!
Oooh, Conspiracy, conspiracy. You lot need to get a life!!! The ballot papers can't be folded as they go into an automatic counting machine. Everyone is human and a very small number of mistakes can occur with staff being unsure of a new voting system. You're just trying to make yourselves feel much more important than you actually are. You have no idea of what a rigged election is, or the horrible consequences of a truly corrupt government. If this govt. was so hell bent on cheating "Joe Public" and giving themselves arbitrary and undeserved powers, why bring in the Constitutional reform act, or the Human rights act, or the freedom of information act. More positive constitutional steps have been taken in the last decade in this country than in the 30 years prior to that. Instead of all this sly winking and elbow nudging about corruption, why not try reading about a topic before you try to discuss it like you know something!! Grow Up!!
Posted by: Kes, Upper Norwood on 8:57pm Sat 3 May 08
The biggest cause for concern is postal voting for everyone that applies. Introduced by this government even though warnings were given about the possibility of election fraud. One has to ask why they went ahead in spite of this. In the past only those who had a legitimate reason got a postal vote
The biggest cause for concern is postal voting for everyone that applies. Introduced by this government even though warnings were given about the possibility of election fraud. One has to ask why they went ahead in spite of this. In the past only those who had a legitimate reason got a postal vote
Posted by: Kes, Upper Norwood on 9:09pm Sat 3 May 08
Human Rights and Freedom of Information Acts? Try getting information which adversely affects this government? Human rights- like 42 days detention without trial? If they can get it through parliament.
Human Rights and Freedom of Information Acts? Try getting information which adversely affects this government? Human rights- like 42 days detention without trial? If they can get it through parliament.
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