Election leaflets masquerading as polling cards
The organisers of the election leaflet website have referred local Labour and Conservative campaigns in two seats in London over the distribution of leaflets which appear to masquerade as polling cards.
This, say the website organisers, has been done by both and the in Islington South, and also by .
According to The Straight Choice site, the law is very clear:
"No person shall for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of any candidate at a parliamentary election issue any poll card or document so closely resembling an official poll card as to be calculated to deceive."
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Comment number 1.
At 5th May 2010, barriesingleton wrote:DECEPTION MANIPULATION AND BRIBERY IN UK ELECTIONS
We are all familiar with 'choosing when to go to the country' aka government manipulation of outcome.
In 2005, oldies were promised a one-off payment that fell after the election aka a bribe.
I have, to hand, a local Tory* leaflet that says - in several ways - "You must vote Tory in Newbury, or we will get 5 years of Brown" aka a lie.
Never mind the 'Representation of the People' Act this is blatant MISREPRESENTATION TO THE PEOPLE and nothing will be done about it.
NB* Other parties are available who are just as devious.
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Comment number 2.
At 5th May 2010, Jeremy Harris wrote:Interestingly, the Tory example shown is less like a polling card than the Labour ones for the following reasons:
1. It is not labelled as a 'polling card' anywhere.
2. It does not encourage voters to take it with them to the polling station, or to hand it to a party representative.
It's not uncommon to see candidate boxes with X marks on leaflets. The only thing that is definitly polling-card-ish about the Tory one is the inclusion of the map with the location of the polling station. The Labour ones, on the other hand, seem to be rather more definite mock polling cards.
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Comment number 3.
At 5th May 2010, JunkkMale wrote:As a wise man later says, cutely, 'Goodness knows how they ever afford to print and distribute them'.
A lot of money seems to have been consumed setting, at best, dubious examples.
All round.
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Comment number 4.
At 5th May 2010, Hyperstar wrote:Don't fall for it
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Comment number 5.
At 5th May 2010, dblentry wrote:Labour have also done this in Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell)
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