Clause 3 - Absent votes and declarations of identity
Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Bill
6:00 pm
Lady Lady Hermon (North Down, UUP)
Two points come to mind. First, I was impressed and pleased when in the early part of the debate the Minister explained to the Committee that ``the IT would be rolled out in the near future'', and kindly further explained that that meant from next year. Bearing that in mind, I reflected on the evidence taken from the now retired chief electoral officer, Mr. Bradley, by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. He had noticed that the abuse of absent voting
``constitutes the commonest form of vote stealing in Northern Ireland. Although the regulations requiring identification have not by any means eliminated personation'',
as the Minister emphasised,
``they have made it harder to personate successfully'',
as we have agreed. However,
``fraudulent applications for absent votes provide a comparatively easy and safe way to steal votes.''
That is the reflection of the chief electoral officer in evidence to the Select Committee. We could marry the two—the fact that IT will be rolled out and available from next year and the serious problem of absent votes being so easy and safe to steal—and, under the amendment, have a bar code that could be electronically scanned and would, as the hon. Member for Belfast, East said, get rid of the photocopies of any other forms involved in applying for an absent vote. The two could easily be married.