Drawback of registering to vote

Thenotsowyzewun

I used to work for Electoral Services at a London Borough.

Single Person Discount (25%): This is a national scheme. If you have more than one person registered at your address (who isn't covered by an excemption) and Council Tax notice you will have to prove categorically that that person has not lived there whilst you've claimed Single Person Discount. Note if you've moved into somewhere in the last 24 months previous owners/tenants may still be registered.

Poll Tax: As above, this is an urban myth, probably stemming from the Poll Tax of the 80s (don't really know anything about that).

Who has access: Both Debt Collection and Credit Reference Agencies can obtain a license for full access to the Electoral Register.
Information can also be requested to support a defence/prosecution assuming the case is Criminal, not Civil Law.

Debt Collection Agencies: Can find people who owe them money using this.

Credit Reference Agencies: Cannot use this information without your prior permission, and since the Data Protection Act was passed it doesn't matter who else is registered at your address - if you find that your Credit Rating/Application for something has been affected by the Credit Reference of someone else they've committed an offence and you can sue them for thousands!

Police Investigations: They'd have to sign a declaration that without this information the Prosecution/Defence can't represent their client/themselves properly (or something to that effect) to be given this information.

Other Access: The Full Register is available at Local Libraries and often various Council Offices for anyone to view, so if you feel threatened you might not want to register in your own name (see below).

Legal Duties: If you're eligible to vote and you're not registered you are committing an offence and could face a £1000 fine (although unlike Council Tax you can't be sent to prison for refusing to pay). Also note that since this fine was made law no-one has ever been fined (I'm 99% sure of this). Note I am not saying you will be fined for not voting/turning up at the Poll Station (it's your choice whether or not you vote, unlike in Australia (so come election week we get lots of worried Australians thinking they'll face a hefty fine if they're not registered and voting!).

Registering under another name: If you owe money, feel threatened, or don't want everyone knowing where you live, you can usually register under an alias. The drawback of this is you won't get a tick for being registered on your Credit Reference (which some companies automatically turn you down for - they use your Electoral Registration as proof that you have given a valid address (in truth this is nonsense, it's really easy to register in whatever name you like wherever you like, and the owners/tenants/residents of that property don't even have to be informed (although we used to send Confirmation Letters to avoid people taking advantage of this!).
Top Celebrities, and an ex-Dictator fearing people would come after him if he registered sent us letters (or got other people to send them anyway) asking us to register them under aliases. As far as I'm aware the law doesn't allow for this at the moment, but we used to do it anyway (and the law soon will allow for it).

Jury Service: If you tick that Over 70 box you'll never be called. That is fraud though...

Who can register: Over 18s with a UK and/or Commonwealth Passport, and citizens of British Territories, also EU citizens can vote in Local Elections and EU Parliamentary (held every 4 years I think) but not UK Parliamentary. If you don't fall into any of those categories and want to vote, we used to recommend people talk to the Home Office about becoming a UK Citizen.

Hope that helps

steady__eddie

A very comprehensive post I thought, I realise that you state that you used to work for Electoral Services, perhaps I could pick your brain concerning the legal duties aspect ?
Although I am in employment, I live a nomadic lifestyle having no fixed abode. Consequently I am not registered for voting purposes, this situation does not unduly perturb me but as of late I feel that I would like to participate again in the democratic process. This interest was revived when I discovered that there are a number of Gentlemen of the Road who have managed to list the Embankment in London as their registered address and are able to vote in the parliamentary constuency which covers the Embankment. I presume that a correspondence address is required but could you possibly advise what action I need to pursue and who I need to pursue it with ?
All I need to do then is decide upon which place of interest and constituency to squander my franchise. Any suggestions greatfully received.

Iain_M

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; or
a person remanded in custody.

To register, you need to fill in a form called a 'Declaration of local connection'. You can get this form by contacting your electoral registration office or from the website http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/pcsearch/PcodeRequest.cfm?Chan=3

On this form you need to give an address where you would be living if it were not for your current situation, or an address where you have lived in the past. If you are homeless, you can give details of where you spend a substantial part of your time.

PoorDave

gizmoleeds wrote:

"When you go into court you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty." Norm Crosby

Great quote, and funny sig too

azzaelectro

Sting wrote: »

I think this electrol roll / tax issue started years ago in the Thatcher era. At the time council tax didn't exist, it was poll tax, and rather than it being charged on the property as council tax is now, it was charged to each person living at the property over 18. One of the many arguements at the time against poll tax was that a millionaire living alone in a mansion would pay less poll tax than a poor family with 10 adults all squeezed together in a council house.

Anyway, the way you were tracked down and had to pay poll tax was by the relevant authorities looking your name up on the electrol roll. Therefore if your name was not on the electrol roll then you couldn't be tracked down and sent a poll tax bill - of course the drawback was you couldn't vote, but I don't think people were too bothered about that.

Anyway, times and taxes have changed, and you will not be taxed any more (or less) by having your name on the electrol roll.

"of course the drawback was you couldn't vote"

That will be by Thatcher was in so long then lol

Genuis if you ask me, you had Register on the Electrical Roll to pay poll tax to vote, so you could vote out Thatcher! lol Or sit back not vote and watch the country turn to ruin!

AzzA