Had a few comments about 2days voting may I attempt to scatter 2 the winds a few conspiracy theories about pencils being issued and the possibility of a yes or no being rubbed out and changed …bear with me good people
I hate to burst your bubble I worked a polling station 2 day and yes pencils where issued at close at six pm we set up tables cut the security tabs on the ballot boxes witnessed and signed off for each tab locking the ballot boxes (four in total 2 on top 2 on the bottom ) then sorted and hand counted all votes 1 pile for yes 1 pile for no and a third pile for informal. All votes here stacked in piles 100 votes per pile then recounted three times by different staff then placed stacked in 100,s which where again recounted by the 2iC and the OIC where they where tallied out of our reach and recorded and entered then after the final count as in the number of those that had voted and the votes on hand was reconciled they where sealed and placed in plastic wrapping and sealed with tamper proof AEC tape. Those numbers where then provided by our OIC via phone link that’s how people got 2 see the returns by local and area voting that you may have been watching on the TV as the counts came in. Changing the votes made in pencil well sorry they where hand counted before being verified and security sealed . If anyone wished to rub out the yes or no dream on the ballots the system is that tight that if they where altered later why bother sorry 2 rain on your parade . In having said that my comments and views in no way reflect upon the AEC,s practices or systems I was but a humble returning officer. Yes I know conspiracy theories will be ripe but I was at the coal face and have probably a better insight into the mechanisms and processes employed in this referendum of the people , enough said .
silmarillianblog 