Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 March 19

= March 19 =

Voting in New Zealand without going to a polling place
I understand that there is an option in New Zealand to vote without going to a polling place, by sending a vote through the mail. Is this correct, and how does it work, exactly? Freeknowledgecreator (talk) 23:50, 19 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Postal voting should explain this, although it doesn't mention new Zealand. Just plenty of other places. HiLo48 (talk) 00:03, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks, but I'm looking for specific information about how to postal vote in New Zealand. Freeknowledgecreator (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * See under Voting from home. It also says "Closer to election time, we’ll add more information to this page about arranging to vote from home." HiLo48 (talk) 00:19, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * In this country, the polling card sent to registered voters by the returning officer prior to the election gives full details of this option.  In a unique experiment, the Hackney London Borough Council election of May 2002 was conducted entirely by post .   The attraction for Hackney (also uniquely, the only council to go bankrupt (in 2000)), was the cheapness of the procedure.   We have an article for every election to the council since its formation in 1964 except that one.   It's difficult to believe, but in 1968 it turned blue. 2A02:C7F:D63F:AF00:1994:7467:4DF:5038 (talk) 12:46, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * For clarity, New Zealand local elections are always carried out by post since 1989 (except for one experiment in 1992) . So too are citizens initiated (non binding) referendum not conducted during general elections. The last local election in NZ was last year, so if the OP voted in this election I assume they already know the process. (Although the norm is postal voting, it is possible to make a special vote if you don't receive your voting papers or lose them. In addition you can deliver them to various service centres directly rather than posting them if you wish to do so.) General elections however are conducted primarily by voting on election day in voting centres, although people can also vote in advance or use postal voting if needed. (As the above source linked by HiLo48 explains, for some special cases like hospitals and prisons, teams will visit to try and allow people to vote.) I believe the voting information pack sent to voters for general elections in NZ also gives information on how to go about postal voting. Although since I didn't need to use the information I never paid much attention. Nil Einne (talk) 14:58, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * In the UK, there is a perception that postal voting is open to fraud; however the official figures suggest that this is minimal. Alansplodge (talk) 16:47, 20 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Both Hackney and the neighbouring borough of Tower Hamlets feature in the report.  There was so much fraud in Tower Hamlets that the mayor was unseated Erlam & Ors v Rahman & Anor.   After his ejection from the Labour party George Galloway went on to represent Tower Hamlets voters.   He was temporarily ejected from the House of Commons as well.   In the 1891 Stowmarket by-election the son of the Conservative member (who died) was on course for a comfortable majority.   However, under cover of darkness on the night before the poll Liberal supporters pinned allegations against him to trees all over the constituency.   There was no truth to them but there wasn't time to take them down and the Liberal scraped in (an early example of fake news, perhaps). 2A00:23C5:D110:5300:882B:88DA:D962:90B5 (talk) 13:01, 21 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Accusations of sexual immorality or family impropriety were common in Roman Republic politics. See sexuality in Ancient Rome, culture of Ancient Rome, mos maiorum. --47.146.63.87 (talk) 18:20, 21 March 2020 (UTC)