I Hate Elections

I'm pissed. Boy am I pissed.

Let me give you a little back story, I'm a British first time voter (Im 18) and I was looking forward to voting for the first time in our General Election in May. I went to register today and was joyfully told that the deadline has passed.

This is funny because the general election hasn't been called for May, It could be June or later.

So now, I am disqualified from voting in an election that has not been called.

There was no mention of this "deadline" in the press or anywhere else, it snuck up and passed and now many first time voters (who are likely to vote against Labour) are unable to vote.

I hate Labour. I've withdrawn all support, I won't be volunteering for them and now I will be actively campaigning to dethrone our local Labour Member of Parliament.

That is after I ambush him tomorrow with a group of friends at his surgery... Details tomorrow.

That sucks. As soon as I turned 18, I registered to vote. But I voted for George H.W. Bush and he lost to Bill Clinton, so I don't have a much a better story to tell.

Nerdling you should automatically be registered to vote, i was when i turned 18. The government should have done it for you, so no need to get pissed

i voted for the first time in the European elections

Originally posted by infinite
Nerdling you should automatically be registered to vote, i was when i turned 18. The government should have done it for you, so no need to get pissed

Through a mistake I could have voted in the Euro elections..illegally but I could still have voted, but me being me I told the election people and they took my name off the register untill I'm 18.

i voted for the first time in the European elections

Spill the beans then who you vote for

I hate Labour. I've withdrawn all support, I won't be volunteering for them and now I will be actively campaigning to dethrone our local Labour Member of Parliament.

The big three parties are decayed, we need new parties to replace them or force them to reform.

That is after I ambush him tomorrow with a group of friends at his surgery... Details tomorrow.

i look forward to the news

im glad Nerdling has seen the light and its not going to go labour

who did i vote for? Shhhh......heard of a secret ballot?

Originally posted by Nerdling
So now, I am disqualified from voting in an election that has not been called.

- Every year the electoral role is formulated, so I guess there has to be a deadline of some sort set at some point.

Tough luck you missed the deadline for this year (I believe it was last week).

Still, you'll know for next time, eh?

There was no mention of this "deadline" in the press or anywhere else, it snuck up and passed and now many first time voters (who are likely to vote against Labour) are unable to vote.

- But isn't it funny how they were advertising about it on the TV for the last so many months though, hmmm?

In fact they now have TV ads every year as the deadline approaches.
Pity you missed them.

I hate Labour. I've withdrawn all support, I won't be volunteering for them and now I will be actively campaigning to dethrone our local Labour Member of Parliament.

- Do you think Labour are responsible for this? Do you imagine this some sort of plot to keep Labour in power?!

Try the Electoral Society and the Parliament that enacted this legislation way back when.

That is after I ambush him tomorrow with a group of friends at his surgery... Details tomorrow.

- Coooo, I bet he'll be shaking in his boots.

But isn't it funny how they were advertising about it on the TV for the last so many months though, hmmm?

I have to agree with you. this is true, but i thought you was automatically regisitered? i was.

I thought I was automatically registered also but I called the local Electoral Register office and it appears that i'm not on the roll.

I've talked to many of my friends about this, none of them are on the roll either.

Originally posted by Nerdling
I thought I was automatically registered also but I called the local Electoral Register office and it appears that i'm not on the roll.

I've talked to many of my friends about this, none of them are on the roll either.

ohh......
you should look into this abit more before "attacking" your local MP

Originally posted by infinite
I have to agree with you. this is true,

- Thank you; I thought for a moment there I might be told I was imagining that!

but i thought you was automatically regisitered? i was.

- I have a hunch that this is a recent change aimed at reducing possible voting fraud.

IIRC the onus is now on the aspiring voter to actively register for his/her vote (with ID etc) and this is intended to lower the risk of fraud.

But yes I can well imagine people feeling a tad hacked off at all the rigmarole.
Such unfortunately is the way things are these days.

Spoke to my parents about this and your not automatically put on the list, my parents put me on when i turned 18 so that i could vote in the European elections. Sorry Nerdling

Originally posted by infinite
Spoke to my parents about this and your not automatically put on the list, my parents put me on when i turned 18 so that i could vote in the European elections. Sorry Nerdling

- But did Nerdling get the info in time to abort the mass barracking of his/her local MP?!