Voting in general election

[Joe]

Could anybody advise how you find the correct website to ask for information how you go about voting.

[Quillan]

Try this...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Politicalpartiesandelections/DG_073241

 

[Quillan]

I forgot you have up to the 20th April to register.

[NormanH]

An interesting site in this context:

http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/

[Will]

Thank you Norman, a very interesting link. The most interesting part was the first page, that - on attractiveness of policies - gave the Greens a clear lead over the Lib Dems in second place with Labour a fairly close third, and Conservatives not too far behind. UKIP and BNP bring up the rear, but with reasonable support. BNP was the only party with clearly identifiable policies in all the lists, though it was obviously easy to identify the Greens in energy and UKIP in Europe.

My results, I am relieved to say, came out almost exactly in line with my voting intentions.

[Joe]

Thanks for the link.That is the one we have been trying.When applying for a postal vote etc,it asks for a post code which of course will be rejected.I may be having a senior moment,but I cannot fathom it out.

[Quillan]

You can't apply for a postal vote till after you have registered as an Overseas Voter. The postcode they ask for is the one from the last place you were registered to vote. That gets the address of where you have to send your form to register to vote as an overseas voter. It is then put automatically in to the form which you print off, complete and send. Once you get a postal reply back you can the apply to vote via the post. The whole procedure, what with taking 'La Poste' and UK civil servants in to account will take 10 to 20 days so I rather think you don't have not much of a chance. Still if you do the first bit at least you will be OK for the next election.

[Hereford]

We understood that the postal votes were never sent out in time to get them back for counting.  The simplest way (which we use) is to appoint a proxy to vote for you.  I think you can download a proxy form from somewhere. Then send all the forms to the proxy for them to sign (I think) and off you go.  The political parties will do this for you and provide a proxy.

It is probably too late now though anyway.  You can only vote for the first 10 years (again "I think") of being away.

Mrs H

[Quillan]

Proxy would be another alternative but its really designed for people going abroad for a fixed period of time. With regards to how long you can vote for and for what I quote from the website I gave the link to.

"If you move abroad, you can vote in general elections and European Union elections for up to 15 years, but you need to be registered. However, you can't vote in UK local government elections. You can also vote by post or proxy if you’ll be temporarily abroad on election day."

Without reading the website further I believe you need a UK address in the area you are voting in because proxy is for those temporarily abroad.

[Hereford]

No Quillan, you do not need  a UK address - we don't have one and all forms are sent here to France.  We have used the proxy way of voting since we arrived in 2002, renewed annually.   They use the last postcode you have in the UK to decide where you will be registered as stated by an earlier poster.

Mrs H

[Quillan]

That was me Mrs H. Could I suggest you have a look at the website that I gave a link to further back, it is the official government website. Once you have registered as living overseas, you only need to do this once I believe, you can either vote by post or by proxy. If you have gone overseas temporarily and still have a UK address you don't have to register and you can vote by proxy. Its all there on the website including the forms you have to print out and complete.

[Hereford]

Quillan - I agree except that we are sent forms every year to sign to say we still live at our French address and confirm we want a proxy.  I do wonder whether some local councils have different procedures.  You can indeed vote by post, in theory, but we have been told that it is impossible as the postal votes are sent out too late to get them back. !!  You are right that it is 15 years (earlier post).

[powerdesal]

This morning my French colleagues were shocked and horrified when I told them I could not vote because I had been out of UK for more than 15 years. Comments such as ''but you are still a UK Citizen aren't you'' were made.

 

European harmonisation ??? right !!!!!!!

[NormanH]

Plus those on Local Government Pensions are taxed at source, so still have to pay tax in the UK without having the right to vote there...

[Tony F Dordogne]

Now that would be a good idea for the next Euro campaign perhaps we could argue that as we have right of residence after 5 years and the right to vote in local and Euro elections, it makes a nonsense if we are allowed to vote in the UK and not in France - wonder who we need to speak to in HMG about that one ;)

[NickP]

Trouble is if you vote for them, it only encourages them. I'm thinking of starting a campaign to get everybody not to vote. That would really upset them,  and then they couldn't get their hands on all that lovely expenses money. [:D]

 

[Jazzer]

Have registered for a postal vote for the first time this year. Has anyone yet received their voting papers.Not long to get them back.

[KathyF]

According to this website http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_by_post.aspx  postal ballot papers aren't sent out until about a week before the election. We've registered for a postal vote and nothing has arrived yet and we're in the UK. It will mean getting the form back in the post the day it arrives to be sure it gets back in time.

[Jazzer]

Thanks for that. Pity they do not have a secure way of voting on line.

[cooperlola]

My postal vote papers have just turned up.

Interestingly the ballot paper has every candidate's home address on it apart from the UKIP guy whose write up simply says "Address in the Maidstone and Weald Constituency".  Even the NF guy owned up!

[Jazzer]

Mine arrived Saturday, returned Monday.

[Gardengirl]

Our postal votes are sent directly to our son's address near our house in UK. I left stamped addressed envelopes at their house ready for them to post them off swiftly, without having to go to the post office etc. The local election cards arrived here yesterday, and I posted them back within minutes. I was told that the general election papers would be posted on 23rd, but haven't heard they've arrived and been posted on yet. I'm hoping they'll arrive tomorrow, as I don't want to miss voting, although my vote in UK won't make any difference as our MP doesn't need to have a count, they could just weigh it!

[DorothyJay]

Our voting papers arrived this morning. So far so good: but no envelope B. When my husband rang the no. given on the information sheet, he was asked if we needed envelope B? Having been put through to another person she informed him that they don't send envelope B to people abroad and she thought it would have been useful if that had been included on the information sheet. So where to send it? Yes, that info would also have been useful she said.  I don't mind paying the postage  but  to return my vote I now need to go out and purchase an A5 envelope. SO I AM FED UP. I wont say what I think of the efficiency of our local district council.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="DorothyJay"]Our voting papers arrived this morning. So far so good: but no envelope B. When my husband rang the no. given on the information sheet, he was asked if we needed envelope B? Having been put through to another person she informed him that they don't send envelope B to people abroad and she thought it would have been useful if that had been included on the information sheet. So where to send it? Yes, that info would also have been useful she said.  I don't mind paying the postage  but  to return my vote I now need to go out and purchase an A5 envelope. SO I AM FED UP. I wont say what I think of the efficiency of our local district council.

[/quote]Well I certainly have envelope B but it has no address on it as it is a window envelope.  The address to send it to is on the back of the Postal Voting Statement.  I can see why some councils might well not send it out as it does give the impression that the postage etc is paid which I doubt.

[Judith]

At this moment, all I want is for it to arrive - soon.  A5 envelopes I can manage, finding out where to send, also, but without receiving it, I can do nothing.  And I do so want to vote this one time.....seems different councils are operating on different timescales.