Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Duque de Bragança]

In Portugal, for legislative elections, overseas ballots take one week more to be counted to account for shipping delays, but that's 4 seats out of 230.

[Sheilbh]

In Portugal, for legislative elections, overseas ballots take one week more to be counted to account for shipping delays, but that's 4 seats out of 230.

I always wonder if we should move to an overseas Brits constituencies model. Especially in London where you do occasionally see big queues outside Embassies/Consulates etc of people waiting to vote in their election at home. We just have nothing like that.

[Duque de Bragança]

The queueing outside consulates only happens for some elections, namely presidential. Others allow mail-in vote. Registered mail for the vote is recommended though.

[Zanza]

Yeah we don't have early voting - but have quite easy mail-in ballots (need to arrive by election day so you're told to send them at least a week before polling day). But it's not a holiday and our traditional voting day is Thursday, so the polls are normally open, I think, from 7am to 10pm.

Our elections are always on Sundays and as everybody who has been to Germany knows everything is closed on Sundays, so you have time for this. I posted in my ballot today at the cityhall as they asked to vote by mail due to the plague. Normally I like going to the polling place as it has a bit of a celebratory atmosphere to me.

[Tamas]

I am getting more and more convinced that the long-term stability of the two "ancient" democracies of Britain and the US are seeing disadvantages of that long continous history. Things like ID cards and Sunday elections are obvious advantages that should be employed but they won't because they were not deemed feasible in the 18th century.

[Sheilbh]

Our elections are always on Sundays and as everybody who has been to Germany knows everything is closed on Sundays, so you have time for this. I posted in my ballot today at the cityhall as they asked to vote by mail due to the plague. Normally I like going to the polling place as it has a bit of a celebratory atmosphere to me.

I like to vote in person - I've only used postal voting when I was out the country. Though it's not necessarily celebratory - it's normally just in a small church hall/school etc. I just quite like the sort of smallness of it like being a tiny part in this great democratic exercise in a little room in a community centre staffed, mainly, by volunteers and council workers - I really like voting

I am getting more and more convinced that the long-term stability of the two "ancient" democracies of Britain and the US are seeing disadvantages of that long continous history. Things like ID cards and Sunday elections are obvious advantages that should be employed but they won't because they were not deemed feasible in the 18th century.

New Labour tried to get ID cards passed several times, there is strong civil libertarian opposition to it. I think it would be helpful, but only on the margins and people don't like that sort of government ID system - or registering your address which is common in some other countries (and I'd oppose a lot more than ID cards).

But I don't see what impact either of those things has had on any recent UK or US elections.

[Tamas]

I seriously think the Sunday thing could matter. That is, if we want more participation. If we want to encourage only middle class and upwards to vote than weekdays are fine.

[Sheilbh]

I seriously think the Sunday thing could matter. That is, if we want more participation. If we want to encourage only middle class and upwards to vote than weekdays are fine.

Anyone can get a mail in ballot - you don't need a reason they're very popular with the elderly for some reason - and the polls are open from 7am to 10pm.

I wouldn't mind introducing early voting like they have in some US states. But I don't really think moving it to Sunday would make much of an impact on participation - maybe a bit around the edges.

And poll workers, council employees, vote counters deserve weekends too

[The Brain]

Which method do Brits normally use to prove their identity?

[Sheilbh]

Which method do Brits normally use to prove their identity?

You don't.

[The Brain]

Which method do Brits normally use to prove their identity?

You don't.

Never?

[Sheilbh]

Never?

I think most would use driving licence. I can't drive so I use my passport which I've had for about 9 years now. Aside from travel I think I've used that for opening a bank account, when I start a new job and possibly with the estate agent when I rent a place. (I've never looked young enough to get IDed )

[celedhring]

I seriously think the Sunday thing could matter. That is, if we want more participation. If we want to encourage only middle class and upwards to vote than weekdays are fine.

Anyone can get a mail in ballot - you don't need a reason they're very popular with the elderly for some reason - and the polls are open from 7am to 10pm.

I wouldn't mind introducing early voting like they have in some US states. But I don't really think moving it to Sunday would make much of an impact on participation - maybe a bit around the edges.

And poll workers, council employees, vote counters deserve weekends too

Well over here if you man a poll station you get half day free the morning after the election (besides the pay).

Since I've never bothered to change my registration (out of laziness and because I changed apartments so much) I'm still registered at my parent's place. Thus every election I go visit them, we go to the polling station together and then have a family lunch. It's like a tradition now.

That said the last time we held an election outside a Sunday (the 2017 Catalan election) participation wasn't hurt, but that one was very charged so a bit of an outlier. Everybody flocked to the polls.

[The Brain]

Never?

I think most would use driving licence. I can't drive so I use my passport which I've had for about 9 years now. Aside from travel I think I've used that for opening a bank account, when I start a new job and possibly with the estate agent when I rent a place. (I've never looked young enough to get IDed )

Makes more sense.

What's the opposition to ID cards based on? Or rather, what's included in the concept "ID cards" in UK discourse? In Sweden people use driver's licence, passport, ID card, or online an app called BankID. ID cards are not mandatory, and many people do not have them.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah and the other point on Sunday is we're not German/European about Sundays. We have restricted Sunday hours but most places are open on Sunday so there are lots of people working on a Sunday too (just not the middle class people ) and I think you'd still need extended polling hours to something like 10pm because shops will, at best, be closed at 4 or 5 in the evening.