The United Kingdom general elected will take place on the sixth of May this year. The winning candidate becomes the member of the parliament and this year's election will determine the 650 candidates who will become the MPs. It is the right of every citizen to choose the political party and the candidate who will rule their country and they can mark their choice through votes.
Requirements to Qualify as a Voter
To be able to vote, the citizen should fulfill many basic requirements. Every British citizen of eighteen years of age and above is eligible to vote in the U K general election. To be able to vote, the person should either be a resident of the United Kingdom or should be a British citizen, a citizen of the republic of Ireland or a qualifying commonwealth citizen. The person should also not have any legal incapacity to vote. Just fulfilling these criteria does not make you eligible to vote for the candidate of your choice; you should be registered on the electoral roll to be able to vote in the election.
How to Register
A person should be registered on the electoral roll to be able to vote in the general election. The registration not only provides the citizen a chance to vote, it also saves a lot of paperwork and proof reading before and after election. If you are doubtful whether you have your name already registered, you can contact the local electoral registration office to get the details on the names registered on the election electoral roll.
If you are a first time voter who wants to register his name on the electoral roll, don’t worry, it is very easy and can be completed in just a few minutes.
When to register; you don’t have to wait till you are 18 to get your name registered for vote; you can register your name when you are 16 but have to wait till you are 18 to vote for an election. The registration is not open only in a particular month or season, you can register at any time in the year and the register gets updated every month of the year. This helps a lot if you move your house as you can get your name on the register of that particular place within a month.
Where to get the registration forms from; The registration form is supplied directly at your home by the local council in the month of September and November as a part of local canvass; you just have to fill this form and sent it to the Local Electoral Registration office to make sure that you are registered. Or you can download the form from the net at any time of the year and it has to be filled, signed by hand and posted for registering your name.
What are the details to be given; You have to provide very basic information about yourself like your name, permanent address, nationality and age in the registration form. The form has to be completely clearly and completely with black pen before posting it. Don’t worry; your personal details will be kept confidential by the Registration office.
The last date for registering for the election taking place on May 6 was April 20 but it is O. K if you don’t have your name on the electoral roll this time; you can participate in the next election if you register at the earliest.
Ways to Make Your Vote
Getting your name updated on the electoral register qualifies you to participate in the election and gives you the opportunity to choose your candidate. So how can you apply your vote? In the United Kingdom there are many ways by which you can vote and how each person votes depend on his choice and convenience. You can either go to the polling station to mark your vote or can do it by post or by proxy.
Voting in Person
Voting in person at the polling booth is always easy and there are volunteers to help you out if you have any doubts. If you are registered on the electoral register, you will receive the electoral card with the details of the polling stations and the time and date of vote at least a week before the election. The polling stations are open from 7 am to 10 pm on the Election Day. You have to mark your vote on the ballot paper provided with details about the candidates and details on how to cast your vote. This marked paper goes into the ballot box registering your vote.
Voting by Post
If you are not able to get to the polling station on the Election Day you can cast your vote through post. Anyone of 18 years of age can vote by post and they does not need to give a reason to opt for the postal voting but have to do so if you are voting at Northern Ireland. But to do so you have to send a Postal Vote Application Form filled and duely signed before a deadline date previously set by the election commission. You will receive the ballot paper about a week before the election and it should be marked with your vote and sent back such that it reaches before the polling closes on the Election Day.
Vote by Proxy
Voting by proxy means you have to appoint someone else on your behalf to cast the vote in case you are unable to get to the polling station on the day. It is particularly useful if you are abroad and cannot sent back the vote by post at time. To be eligible to vote by proxy, you have to send an application form at the electoral registration office before a specified date; for this year's election it is 27 April. And you should provide a reason of why you are opting this way to cast your vote. And you can have anyone to vote on your behalf if they are willing to vote for you and are themselves eligible to vote.
How to Cast Your Vote
If you are a first time voter, you indeed are going to have doubts about how to cast your vote on the day of election. There will be volunteers to help you to cast your vote so be confident. But you should know at least the basic of how to vote before the day. If voting in person you can cast your vote at the polling station allotted for you anytime between 7 am to 10 pm. After checking your name on the register and verifying your identification proof you will be provided with a ballot paper listing the candidates and their party. The vote should be marked at the place provided and no other writing or markings are allowed on the ballot paper at the screened booth. The marked ballot paper should be folded and put into the ballot box. Similar ballot paper will be sent to you if you wish to vote on post. Mark your vote on it and sent it such that it reaches back before 10 pm on the day election, which is before the election closes at the polling station.
It is very easy to register your name on the electoral list and cast your vote for the candidate of your choice. All it takes is just a very few minutes of your day to cast your vote; so that you can decide who is going to rule you and your country. Casting your vote is not compulsory, but it is important if you want the best person to represent your state and your country. |
