We had to go and vote again yesterday for local councillors or somesuch. Me, Mrs Wallster and Wallster Jr who has recently turned 18.
Once we'd given our names and address (we don't take the polling cards with our ID numbers, that would be too easy for them), they looked us up on their list and wrote our ID numbers on the ticket stub in their book of voting slips and handed us each the corresponding voting slip.
Now, the anarchist in me decided that they should not be able to find out how I voted, so we all 3 swapped papers a few times to ensure they couldn't know which voting slip each of us were using.
We then went to our respective voting booth, placed crosses against 'no more than 5 candidates'(!) folded the papers and turned to place them in the box.
However standing before the box, and effectively blocking our way, was a large and rather scary middle aged woman who insisted we show her the numbers on the back of our voting slips so she could update her list to ensure they knew which vosting slip each of us had used.
My anarchic streak had gone flaccid by this point and I meekly rolled over and gave her the number; which she duly noted.
Now, did she have a right to do this? Do I have a right to keep my voting habits secret? What's the point of those little voting cubicles if none of it's private anyway?
Anybody know whether we are actually entitled to a secret vote or am I lining myself up for a trip to the Gulag by being difficult?
Just thought I'd ask.
