[Livia]

Your claim that if this topic was being covered by people I actually liked instead of you... that's the thing that's mystifying. I have lots of friends on here with whom I don't agree but we can remain civil. We were friends, you and I, until you changed your political allegiance and decided I was your enemy for some reason.

I find your claim that you're worried that an election agent like me is missing YOUR point. Your opinion has nothing whatsoever to do with what's actually true in my professional opinion and I'll thank you not to question my professional opinion until the ink's dry on your degree.

Anyone could walk into a polling station with my polling card and cast a vote. You don't have to take photo ID. It is as open to fraud as postal votes (and proxy votes) are. You can't make anything fool proof, as I've already said, but I'm happy, as a professional, that the system is carefully monitored. No political party is allowed to have anything to do with the postal votes. They can send out the forms so long as their local electoral services is in agreement and has approved the form, but they are not legally entitled to receive them once completed. Saying that postal votes are dangerous is saying that the people who work in electoral services and the Electoral Commission are untrustworthy. You're also assuming that the people in whose name the postal vote is prepared are either stupid or in league with fraudsters. Most people I know take their vote very seriously. What's more, professional people police the system brilliantly. Does fraud sometimes happen? Of course. Is it punished with prison sentences? Yes.