I assume most people here already are registered but just in case: here’s the link.
Stupid question, but do you have to register in advance to be able to vote? Why is that? In Germany, every citizen eligible to vote gets the necessary documents automatically by mail.
Worth noting things like jury service are selected from the electoral register. So you are basically opting in to democratic society.
I guess the government would also need to collect citizen data unnecessarily without consent in order to be automatically opted in. The UK is actually kind of libertarian in some aspects in autonomy around identity and right to be known to the government, etc. Although it would be basically impossible to actually function in the society and not be on some form of system, you could probably exist without anything more than your birth being registered.
opting in
It’s an offence to refuse to provide your details. It’s compulsory, not optional. I’ve had someone come to my front door and demand I fill in the form.
Wow. Apparently that changed in 2013 as well.
Honestly don’t blame folks for not knowing this. With all the voter ID stuff it really was not made clear to the public that a fine was added. Most brits grew up in a system where it was entirly optional.
There really has been no attempt at publishing this change.
It only applies if a registration officer specifically asks you to register. And honestly that has been very rare up to now. Makes me wonder why the tories felt this was needed.
It’s not an offence to refuse to register to vote. You sure you weren’t being scammed?
The UK is actually kind of libertarian in some aspects in autonomy around identity and right to be known to the government, etc
I’ve noticed that too. My uncle forgot about all of it in his twenties and heard nothing more until he was contacted about claiming his state pension a few years ago. It’s not all bad I guess.
You can kind of have your cake and eat it though. If you just ask HR to provide a letter saying they need you at work, so you need to be excused from jury duty. I’ve done that like 4 times over 3 workplaces.
Edit: then the other cheat code is asking the assessor if “jury nullification” exists in the UK
You do. I don’t know why, really. Sounds like the German system is better!
Usually it’s one of those things you do when your move house. Every now and again they will send a form to confirm the entries are correct and if nothing has changed you just tick there box and send it back (or reply online). People who move a lot or bounce between two addresses (e.g. students) are usually the ones that drop through the cracks.
How do the people who send the necessary documents know where to send them and to whom?
You are registered with your name and address by birth and are required to update your information if you move. It’s actually pretty close to the UK system I believe, just that it’s automatic and not called voter registration.
Yeah we dont have that. Voter registration is the closest we have. Qnd you need to donit every time you move house.
National Insurence IDs are issued at 16 and the gov dose try to keep track on working addresses etc.
But voting is handled by local authorities so you need to inform your authority when you move to an area. If you want them to include you in the voting role. Many forget until an election is due. And some choose not to bother.
Haven’t bothered going in a while, as I live in a “safe” constituency held by the one party I dislike the least out of the two parties to choose from, but if I recall correctly, you only have to register with your specific polling station when you move to another residency. Although you also have to apply for a specific voting photo-ID for each election if you don’t already have a driver’s license or other govt-issued photoID.
Neither is an automatic process, and the only thing we get in the mail without asking for it is notification that an election is about to happen, and various adverts from each of the parties running.
In Germany you have ‘meldepflicht’, but there is no law requiring you to register in the UK.
there is no law requiring you to register in the UK
You’re talking bollocks.
"What happens if you do not register
You must register to vote if you’re asked to do so and you meet the conditions for registering, for example you’re 16 or over and you’re British or a national of an EU or Commonwealth country.
If you’re asked to register and do not, you could be fined."
Thank you for being so polite.
The question I answered was ‘why we have to register to vote’. We have to register to vote, because there is no law requiring you to register where you live - as opposed to Germany where they have ‘Meldepflicht’, which means you must register with the local authorities when you move. If there was something similar in the UK, then there would be no requirement to register, the necessary documents to vote would be sent automatically.
