I'VE always believed that the British electoral system was one of the best in the world. However, in the past few years, my faith in the accuracy of the electoral register has been called into doubt.
My wife and I have lived at our present address for almost four years. We know the name of the previous occupants. Yet, at every election, both local and national, postal ballot papers are delivered for someone who has not lived here for at least five years.
This person is not one of the previous occupants. The last time this happened, I contacted the returning office to tell them that the register is obviously wrong. I was told that the person concerned was registered as a postal voter but that they would be removed from the list.
How is it that another set of postal ballot papers was delivered for the forthcoming election? We have also had literature from the major parties who, I assume, are using the electoral register. How many other phantom voters are registered?
We laughed at the amazing twists and turns of American democracy as they tried every which way to manipulate the votes by deciding which ones to count. This is serious. How can someone use my address to claim a vote?
I fill in the registration form each year and I can assure you that I only include myself, my wife and my son. Who is adding the extra name to the list?
Can we be certain that when the result is declared on Friday that every valid vote has been counted and all fictitious votes discounted?
The whole point of any democracy is that each person has an equal valid vote. Have we achieved that? – Nigel Wright, The Martins, Tutshill, Chepstow.