Philatelist error?

[ozzy72]

Well all I can say about this stamp is WHOOPS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6143218.stm

[Hagar]

I'm wondering how that could possibly happen. :-/

[ozzy72]

Mr. Magoo Syndrome?

[Hagar]

Found this on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_Jenny [quote]On Nov. 13, 2006, an elderly Sarasota, Florida man contacted SNN News 6, claiming to be the man who mailed the ballot. Dan Jacoby says the stamp he used is a commemorative stamp that is worth about 50 cents.

This story recalls a plot point from the 1985 movie version of Brewster

[ozzy72]

Strangely enough I just thought of Brewster's Millions. Classic bit of Richard Prior and John Candy
Maybe I'll watch that now... I could do with a laugh

[Apex]

I'm about 30 miles south of where this happened, it was on the local news recently, I couldn't believe it.  

About 5 years ago I had the privilege of assessing an interesting stamp collection:  A friend of a friend inherited a small suitcase full of about 90 entire U.S. sheets, comemoratives, from the 40's and 50's, and some other odds & ends.  His elderly next door neighbor left them to him in her will.  Going into this, I was hoping to see something really rare (and yeah, that Curtis Jenny error came to mind), but no luck.  A few unusual items, but nothing worth a lot. The sheets were some sight, though, all in absolutely mint condition.  I valued the entire collection at about $1200 Scotts catalog, but cautioned that local stamp stores would pay practically nothing, then take the sheets and cut them into plate blocks and singles for maximum profit on resale.  He still has the collection.  

[expat]

May slightly be touching on politics, but a Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom told reporters the ballot was disqualified because it gave no clue as to the identity of the voter.............Making it rather easy to round up all the people who did not vote for you  ;D

Matt

[Hagar]

[quote]May slightly be touching on politics, but a Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom told reporters the ballot was disqualified because it gave no clue as to the identity of the voter.............Making it rather easy to round up all the people who did not vote for you

[Chris_F]

[quote]May slightly be touching on politics, but a Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom told reporters the ballot was disqualified because it gave no clue as to the identity of the voter.............Making it rather easy to round up all the people who did not vote for you

[expat]

How else would you do absentee ballots?  You need to account for one person=one vote.  If you don't collect information about the voter how do you make sure they don't mail a couple absentees in and then show up at the polls to vote in person?

Because absentee voters vote ahead of time. If you have voted by post, your name "should" have been removed from the vote in person list when you show up.

Matt

[dcunning30]

[quote]May slightly be touching on politics, but a Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom told reporters the ballot was disqualified because it gave no clue as to the identity of the voter.............Making it rather easy to round up all the people who did not vote for you

[Mushroom_Farmer]

[quote]


We've had a problem with voter fraud, and it's a hot discussion these days.

[Chris_F]

Because absentee voters vote ahead of time. If you have voted by post, your name "should" have been removed from the vote in person list when you show up.

Matt

Yes, I understand.  I was responding to the statement that having your ID on your absentee vote was a violation of voter confidentiality.  In order for the process to work your ID MUST be tied to your vote (though perhaps not who you voted for).  In order for the process to work as you describe you must provide your ID with your absentee vote.

I don't understand how absentee voting could be accomplished without this?

[Hagar]

I don't understand how absentee voting could be accomplished without this?

That's what makes the whole thing questionable to me. I don't know how it's done in the US but even personal votes can be traced in the UK system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot

The UK secret ballot arrangements are sometimes criticised because it is possible to link a ballot paper to the voter that cast it. Each ballot paper is individually numbered and each elector has a number. When an elector is given a ballot paper, their number is noted down on the counterfoil of the ballot paper (which also carries the ballot paper number).

This measure is thought to be justified as a security arrangement so that if there was an allegation of fraud, false ballot papers could be identified. The process of matching ballot papers to voters is only permissible if an Elections Court requires it, and this is an extremely unlikely occurrence. The legal authority for this system is set out in the Parliamentary Elections Rules in Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Going back to the topic, the ballot paper was disallowed because the voter couldn't be identified. I still don't understand why they had to keep the envelope it was sent in (with the aforementioned stamps attached). Not knowing how it works I can only assume that this is how postal voters are verified.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Perhaps they go by voter id #, instead of name, rank and S.N.? I've never voted absentee before.
As for the stamp used on the envelope, the latest is it may be a fake. They are checking it and state it may be a while before verification.  ::)
All current U.S. stamps have an identifying mark which is scanned during transit.