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Postal Voting

Here’s how modern democracies work. We got this notice in the work mail. It was addressed to all persons of Spanish nationality. You can open the link and even with a rudimentary level of Spanish you will soon understand what is going on. Yes. That’s right. They’ve got elections coming up so they are being asked to register so as to be able to vote by post. Simples no?

Click here to read the document.

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11 replies on “Postal Voting”

yes of course but then spain has divorce and same sex marriage …this is malta jacque, no moonshining, no fun at the concert, no writing of rude stories, no fun at the carnival…what will you come up with next? bernard shaw at the manoel?

These are municipial elections. As far as I remember elections for the Spanish parliament only offer embassy voting.

This happens also in Germany, even for Federal elections. I have personally witnessed people being pressured by their family to vote for one and not the other party, and this is Germany. Just imagine what would happen here.

Grazzi, imma xorta nahseb li s-segretezza tal-vot hi essenzjali biex tithares id-demokrazija

“I have personally witnessed people being pressured by their family to vote for one and not the other party, and this is Germany. Just imagine what would happen here.”

Insofar as this adds nothing new to the dynamics that are existent under the current voting system (inclusive of the excessive last minute phone calls, pressures and promises by the major party networks) I do not see how this point should make postal voting any different from voting at the ballot.

It’s not just a “hmerija” it’s irrelevant.

No, Jacques. Phone calls and promises can be an irritation (and that applies to commercial as much as political marketing). However, the secrecy of the vote is not compromised. Postal voting risks big time and in Malta it would bring back ghosts of the “trusted friend” in long-past elections.

I think the bottom line is that the Maltese eletoral process (not just system) can be improved greatly without being as radical as postal voting.

The reading of 5 pages of Spanish by somone having only a basic knowledge of Spanish is not easy reading. I understood that one can vote in the embassy or consular offices besides postal voting.

Postal voting certainly has its merits. It enhances the right to vote for those persons who otherwise would probably not vote or have to rely on subsidised cheap flights to vote.

However there are also a number of disadvantages of postal voting.

1. It seriously undermines the principle of voting secrecy.

2. There is a risk of voting fraud as has been the case in the UK in 2004.

3. In the Maltese context, non-Maltese residents may not satisfy the residency requirements in law to be eligible to vote. This provision was necessary as it is deemed unfair that an election result may be determined by non-resident Maltese.

Besides the post can be unreliable as regards timing (letters from Luxembourg to Malta may take from 3 days to two weeks!) and security.

Since Malta is not, according to your premise, a modern democracy, is it an ancient democracy (as is Greece)?

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