Voting without being on the electoral roll

[Detling]

Several people have a relative whose address they use for mail etc from DVLC etc. They can register for a postal vote there with no problem. For several years my parents were registered at my address even though they lived on their boat in the Med. The other thing to remember is you can only vote once in an election, to vote twice say at home and at your boats address is electoral fraud, and can earn a custodial reward.

[mayalld]

The OP implies he is not on the electoral roll and asks if he can vote. The answer is yes as I said.

 

The answer is "yes, he can vote, he just needs to register. Having registered, he will be on the electoral roll"

[Jim Batty]

Those living on boats are specifically discussed in this document from the Electoral Commission, under "Declaration of local connection" on page 29. They are a separate category from the less flattering ones mentioned previously but the declaration to be made is the same.

 

Ah, thanks for this. Explains it all.

[Lmcgrath87]

If you have been registered with GP here you should have an NHS number,

 

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/thenhs/records/pages/thenhsnumber.aspx

 

ah yes, I am registered with a GP so assume I must have an NHS number.

 

Upon trying to change my name and address details with HRMC, you need a lot of information, this could take some time !

[David Schweizer]

This page cites:

 

"Registering to vote with no fixed address

 

You can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. This may be because you are:

• a patient in a mental health hospital
• a homeless person
• a person remanded in custody

 

 

I don't have the form in front of me (it's buried under the bow), but I thought it did require you to be homeless, or institutionalised. I'll have to dig it out.

 

You can find the form here Electoral registration form for someone with no fixed or permanent address (pdf, 98 KB)(opens new window) It is the Bristol one, but most Local Authorities seem to have one on their web site, The comptetion details for someone with no fixed address are on page 3.

Edited March 26, 2015 by David Schweizer

[tillergirl]

Yes you can.........the first hurdle is getting a local council to give you a form because they won't know what you are talking about. And if you get that far then you have to declare you have an interest in the area/local connection, which ultimately means you will be voting for someone you have no knowledge of or what they stand for because they sure as hell are not going to come down the tow-path and do their canvassing. Take it back to the council offices where you waste more time explaining how and where you live before they take it off your hands whilst being looked upon as some vagrant because technically you are of "no fixed abode". They then send your voting cards to an address of your choice.....might be your mailing address might be somewhere local to the area that you have asked if they will accept some mail for you - you can't have it sent to the council who will take it to the polling station......... Then you have to find out where the nearest polling station is and hang around until polling day or return on polling day and walk 3 miles to the nearest polling station to cast your vote for a person you have no knowledge of or what they stand for. Their current system is great if you don't move around a lot but as a CCer making a Bona Fida navigation I might be 100 miles away from where I've registered to vote. And if I stay around that area to vote I'm breaking the T&C's of my licence!

 

And whilst this is gong on they ask how you get your mail....to a relatives address....register there then...err no they live on their own I'm not going to compromise their entitlement to single person rebate on their council tax...been there, done that took a lot of sorting out.....again! It shouldn't be this difficult. i know of one couple who it has taken 3 months to go through this procedure and they have a home mooring!! Their local council refused to accept them onto the electoral register.

 

So come on Mr Cameron and other cronies who would have us vote them into power...we live in the 21C why on earth can I not register to vote on-line????

[Jerra]

So come on Mr Cameron and other cronies who would have us vote them into power...we live in the 21C why on earth can I not register to vote on-line????

Too open to hacking and vote rigging? Also you would still have to be on an electoral register.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Jerra

[tillergirl]

Too open to hacking and vote rigging? Also you would still have to be on an electoral register.

 

Good points and open for a some strong debating.

 

The point I was trying to make was that if you choose not to live a "normal" life its very difficult to be included in some activities that most people take for granted. As for the rest our electoral system is archaic and needs a complete overhaul. I always thought that to live in this country was about "inclusion" not "exclusion"

[dor]

Too open to hacking and vote rigging? Also you would still have to be on an electoral register.

You can't register on-line for a postal vote either, you have to send the form in. I presume this is so they have a signature. And yet I can go on-line to HMRC who presumably are happy to accept I am who I am. Many other things can be done solely on-line so I can't really see why you can't register for a postal vote that way, or it seems, register to vote at all.

[Jerra]

 

Good points and open for a some strong debating.

 

The point I was trying to make was that if you choose not to live a "normal" life its very difficult to be included in some activities that most people take for granted. As for the rest our electoral system is archaic and needs a complete overhaul. I always thought that to live in this country was about "inclusion" not "exclusion"

I would agree that getting on the electoral register should be easier for those who "choose not to live a "normal" life" but with the system of constituencies you would have to choose an area to be registered for. Then you could vote by post as it seems the voting slips are available a reasonable time ahead. Perhaps registering on line is the answer but postal votes.

You can't register on-line for a postal vote either, you have to send the form in. I presume this is so they have a signature. And yet I can go on-line to HMRC who presumably are happy to accept I am who I am. Many other things can be done solely on-line so I can't really see why you can't register for a postal vote that way, or it seems, register to vote at all.

You posted as I was typing, I did say on line registration might be the way ahead.

[b0atman]

I believe that in Australia it is illegal not to vote how would that work here

[Jerra]

I believe that in Australia it is illegal not to vote how would that work here

Well if Australia can cope with all the remote farms in the outback surely a system could be worked out for UK.

[Maffi]

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

[David Schweizer]

 

Good points and open for a some strong debating.

 

The point I was trying to make was that if you choose not to live a "normal" life its very difficult to be included in some activities that most people take for granted. As for the rest our electoral system is archaic and needs a complete overhaul. I always thought that to live in this country was about "inclusion" not "exclusion"

 

Are your observastions in the above, and earlier, posts based upon personal experience or are they predictions based upon what others have told you?

Edited March 27, 2015 by David Schweizer

[cotswoldsman]

I would agree that getting on the electoral register should be easier for those who "choose not to live a "normal" life" but with the system of constituencies you would have to choose an area to be registered for. Then you could vote by post as it seems the voting slips are available a reasonable time ahead. Perhaps registering on line is the answer but postal votes.

You posted as I was typing, I did say on line registration might be the way ahead.

I found the process very easy filled in the form posted it then after that all done via email

 

First email received

 

 

I am in receipt of your completed application to register as a person with no fixed or permanent address.

 

2nd email 2 days later

 

 

Hi John

 

 

 

Thank you for your email and information contained therein. I will now process your application and you will receive confirmation in due course.

 

 

 

Regards.

[David Schweizer]

I found the process very easy filled in the form posted it then after that all done via email

 

First email received

 

 

I am in receipt of your completed application to register as a person with no fixed or permanent address.

 

2nd email 2 days later

 

 

Hi John

 

 

 

Thank you for your email and information contained therein. I will now process your application and you will receive confirmation in due course.

 

 

 

Regards.

 

Ah yes John, but people like you look for solutions, not problems.

 

As you say, it is really quite easy to register, and I am surprised that some people living on boats do not know how to do it, considering that details are included on the A.C.C., N.B.T.A., and London Boaters websites. However, for those who cannot find the form on their chosen Local Authority site, here is a generic one :- Electoral Registration Generic NFA which should be completed and posted to the Returning Officer for your chosen Local Authority.

Edited March 27, 2015 by David Schweizer

[Jerra]

I found the process very easy filled in the form posted it then after that all done via email

 

First email received

 

 

I am in receipt of your completed application to register as a person with no fixed or permanent address.

 

2nd email 2 days later

 

 

Hi John

 

 

 

Thank you for your email and information contained therein. I will now process your application and you will receive confirmation in due course.

 

 

 

Regards.

Good to know.

[Thorfast]

 

 

 

The point I was trying to make was that if you choose not to live a "normal" life its very difficult to be included in some activities that most people take for granted. As for the rest our electoral system is archaic and needs a complete overhaul. I always thought that to live in this country was about "inclusion" not "exclusion"

 

I thought the point of choosing not to live a 'normal' life is to avoid being in a life that is taken for granted. If you opt out so to speak, then you have chosen to make normal society conventions more difficult.

 

I agree that the voting system need changing.

With more and more electoral parties to choose from, and the strong likelihood of no overall majority achieved by one party, we need to move towards some sort of proportional representation system.

And....we should follow Australia and make it mandatory for everyone to vote ( provided there is also a choice 'none of these candidates' )

[Jerra]

 

I thought the point of choosing not to live a 'normal' life is to avoid being in a life that is taken for granted. If you opt out so to speak, then you have chosen to make normal society conventions more difficult.

 

I agree that the voting system need changing.

With more and more electoral parties to choose from, and the strong likelihood of no overall majority achieved by one party, we need to move towards some sort of proportional representation system.

And....we should follow Australia and make it mandatory for everyone to vote ( provided there is also a choice 'none of these candidates' )

I would agree on the proportional representation.

 

Have you see Brewster's Millions with Eddie Murphy? None of the above didn't work for him!

Edited March 27, 2015 by Jerra

[KevMc]

 

I thought the point of choosing not to live a 'normal' life is to avoid being in a life that is taken for granted. If you opt out so to speak, then you have chosen to make normal society conventions more difficult.

 

I agree that the voting system need changing.

With more and more electoral parties to choose from, and the strong likelihood of no overall majority achieved by one party, we need to move towards some sort of proportional representation system.

And....we should follow Australia and make it mandatory for everyone to vote ( provided there is also a choice 'none of these candidates' )

 

We had a referendum on PR at the start of this government and if I recall correctly it was roundly defeated.

 

I think the system of government needs a complete overhaul ... if we start out with the belief (which any right minded person does) that anyone who wants to be Prime Minister should be barred from that position the first step would be to make membership of a political party illegal.

 

From there we gradually do away with electing MPs and select our MPs randomly, replacing them on a rolling basis - that way we end up with a truly democratic parliament unsullied by the media barons deciding who they support, and not controlled by the back room suits that run the parties ... totally unlikely but hey ho I can dream.

[tillergirl]

 

Are your observastions in the above, and earlier, posts based upon personal experience or are they predictions based upon what others have told you?

 

Personal experience

 

I found the process very easy filled in the form posted it then after that all done via email

 

First email received

 

 

I am in receipt of your completed application to register as a person with no fixed or permanent address.

 

2nd email 2 days later

 

 

Hi John

 

 

 

Thank you for your email and information contained therein. I will now process your application and you will receive confirmation in due course.

 

 

 

Regards.

 

I'm very pleased for you John. I have found it extremely "challenging" shall we say?

 

 

Ah yes John, but people like you look for solutions, not problems.

 

As you say, it is really quite easy to register, and I am surprised that some people living on boats do not know how to do it, considering that details are included on the A.C.C., N.B.T.A., and London Boaters websites. However, for those who cannot find the form on their chosen Local Authority site, here is a generic one :- Electoral Registration Generic NFA which should be completed and posted to the Returning Officer for your chosen Local Authority.

 

I did not look for problems David.....Its difficult to know where exactly we are going to be on Polling Day given that we shall be travelling from one event to another. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a solution to that other than lost earnings and tbh I'm not prepared to do that.

[cotswoldsman]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did not look for problems David.....Its difficult to know where exactly we are going to be on Polling Day given that we shall be travelling from one event to another. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a solution to that other than lost earnings and tbh I'm not prepared to do that.

But you can post your vote from anywhere

[tillergirl]

But you can post your vote from anywhere

 

Can we? We were not told that.......maybe I will pop into the local council office here at Middlewich then and have another go.

 

See if Cheshire East are any better than Cheshire West

[Jerra]

 

Can we? We were not told that.......maybe I will pop into the local council office here at Middlewich then and have another go.

 

See if Cheshire East are any better than Cheshire West

In the Scottish Referendum my daughter was in South Africa and used a postal vote so I would agree with John - anywhere. Providing of course you have registered and got the postal voting forms. I also believe once you are registered you can ask for your postal vote by post - now isn't that innovative.

[cotswoldsman]

 

Can we? We were not told that.......maybe I will pop into the local council office here at Middlewich then and have another go.

 

See if Cheshire East are any better than Cheshire West

I presume you did not actually read the form David posted earlier then