LETTERS
Ballot coercion
Sir: I was brought up to believe that the secrecy of the ballot box was sacrosanct. This was so as to prevent the possible co-ercion of a voter. For me such co-ercion only happened in banana republics, not in Britain. Thus when on polling day in the Euro-elections I visited a polling station in my capacity as a candidate I was indignant at seeing a man and a woman in a polling booth together and drew the attention of the Presiding Officer.
The couple were Asians. Although I was only ten feet or so from them I could not see who was marking the papers as the man's right arm was round the woman. The Presiding Officer intervened saying that if the lady needed guidance he was the one to give it. The man put his arm in front of the Officer saying that his mother did not speak English. The Presiding Officer then came to me and said that he had had guidance from the Returning Officer saying that it was acceptable to have two people in a booth provided they were of the same family.
I have since written to the Returning Officer and to the Director of Public Prosecutions both of whom find it in order to have two people in a booth. I have also written to the Home Secretary but he did not bother to answer.
Thinking carefully of this matter I can- not see how a person capable of voting is not capable of having a ballot paper explained before entering the booth and so not be in need of supervision. In this instance it is quite possible that the lady wished to vote differently but would not do so at the expense of incurring the displea- sure of her son or even the ostracisation of her society. In a world that is largely male dominated it is women's voting rights that are at risk when dominant males are allowed to enter the booths with them. Secret ballots were opposed in the first place because they 'would undermine the sturdy independence of the voter'. There are many societies in this country where it would be unfair to ask a woman to show `sturdy independence'!
I think the law should be changed. What do your readers think?
George Childs
19 Wood Lane Close, Iver Heath, Bucks
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