Vote Early, Vote Often: Welsh Assembly Election 2007

The expression 'Vote Early, Vote Often' is well known in Northern Ireland. It refers to the days of old when voting fraud was a routine part of elections. It was something perpetrated by both sides, one as bad as the other.

In more recent decades however it has encouraged one of the most secure voting systems in the UK. Individual voter registration using national insurance numbers and signatures has led to a substantial decrease in registered electors. It removed the right of the fictious to vote in the real world and the dead to vote from beyond the grave.

I voted in the Welsh Assemly election on Thursday and was dumb-founded by the simplicity of it - they just took my name and address. I didn't need to give any other details, I didn't need to prove who I was, in fact had I have wanted to I could probably have taken my telephone directory and voted for most of the street who didn't bother going. I'm a visitor to this part of the world, and am cautious to criticise, but it is just common sense that something needs to be done about the way people vote in Wales. I understand with a low-turnout you don't want to do something which discourages people, but the system is, quite frankly, stupid.

Reform of the way we conduct elections has been debated for many years. Some, like Matthew Paris, believe the x on a paper ballot, counted by hundreds of clerks on the night of the election is the most full proof method. Given the fiasco in Scotland over broken counting machines and spoilt ballot papers that may well be true. But as someone who has now been involved in reporting 5 elections, I can't help but think that in this day and age there must be a quicker, more efficient way to let the people decide.

Twelve councils around England piloted hi-tech voting systems for this weeks elections. This included the ability to vote over the internet and telephone. A report will be published later this year on how successful the pilots were, but it was revealed this week that only days before Thursday's election, concerns were expressed by the Department of Constitional Affairs about the security of the trial systems. Apparently, vulnerabilities were found in the software of the program used to collect and administer votes electronically. South Buckinghamshire, will undoubtedly be at the centre of post-election analysis they seem to have pretty much tried everything!

In an age were we pay for groceries with a 4 digit pin-code, were we can get loans and mortagages in a few mouse clicks and book trips to the far reaches of the planet from the spare room, you'd think that choosing our elected leaders shouldn't be so difficult. Saturday night TV offers democracy galore; X Factor, Fame Academy, Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, and of course how could I forget Any dream will do... The nation votes in its thousands. OK, I recognise that in this case it is often hormonal teenage girls voting hundreds of times each, but you catch my drift.

We should be able to do it better, we should be able to do it quicker, sad though it is, our democracy might have something to learn from Any dream will do... personally I'll be sticking with Dame Edna!