enfranchisement

[raven]

So, it looks like I won't be voting in the referendum on May 5th.

Mostly this is as a result of my own incompetence, but, still. When the referendum was announced, I decided straight off that I wanted a proxy, not a postal vote. Don't ask me why, it felt more solid to me.

So I looked up online how you arrange for a proxy vote. Send a form to the last place in the UK you were registered, it said, and pre-printed the address on the form for me. I had the form for Oxford City Council, and then realised... am I registered to vote in Oxford? Or am I registered to vote in Sefton? The cards went round in October, said the internet.

I called home. "Did you register me to vote?"

Cue silence. Both my parents remembered the letter coming round, but neither could recall if they'd filled me in as resident and registering. Okay, I said, could you call Sefton Council and ask? I can't, for fairly obvious reasons.

Okay, said my dad. A couple of days later, I asked, in passing, did you call them?

They put me on hold, he said. And then they put me on hold some more. I'll try again later.

A few days I asked him again. He rang off and went to try them yet again, and called back: they put me on hold.

A few days after that it was the day before the deadline to register to vote in the UK. I called home. My dad said, faintly desperately, that he hadn't managed to talk to anyone.

Screw this, I said, I am going to apply for a proxy as though I were registered to vote. As for where: I will nominate my dad in Sefton, and Shim in Oxford. If I'm lucky, I'm registered to vote somewhere. One of them might get a polling card for me, and the other a letter saying "who are you?" - and if they both get polling cards I will not commit electoral fraud and vote twice.

I printed off the forms yesterday, filled them in at 1am, looked for stamps in the drawer I always keep them. There are no stamps in the drawer I usually keep them. So today I went to the little newsagent in Collegetown. We don't have them, they said. Try two doors down. I tried two doors down. They said, we don't have international ones, try up at the Statler. I trekked up there, they said, yes there is a place here that has stamps - but it's just closed. Go downtown.

I went outside and considered going downtown. I might have mentioned earlier I have a head-cold, and can't sleep because all the crap in my head means I can't breathe properly when lying down. I wobbled a bit on my feet and went home. Tomorrow I will go and get stamps if I'm dying. I will.

But. The deadline for a new proxy in the UK is six working days before the election. Six working days before the election is April 26th. Tomorrow is April 21st. USPS suggest allowing a week for transatlantic mail.

I am going to try - but even if it gets there, and it might not get there, I may not be registered anywhere.

I have a degree in political science. Clearly this is no bar to idiocy-based failure to participate. I am very, very annoyed with myself right now.

Comments

[sir_guinglain]

I remember finding out too late that my college hadn't registered me to vote in the 1997 election. I also remember running through the streets from the registration office in fury. I hope that you can register.

[raven]

I hope so too. This really sucks.

[saunteringfiend]

Fingers crossed for you.

[raven]

Thanks. :)

[soupytwist]

I've had stuff cross the Atlantic in less time than that. I really hope it works out for you. *hug*

[raven]

Oh, me too, honey, me too.

[livrelibre]

Though it would be expensive you could FedEx it or sent it through USPS Global Express Guaranteed or Express Mail: http://www.usps.com/international/sendmail.htm

Hop it works out and hope you're feeling better!

[raven]

I am tempted by this! thanks!

[happydork]

Ack, that sucks. I really hope things work out. If it helps, I've had post make its way across the pond much quicker than a week.

[raven]

I hope it gets there, i really do.

[jennyrad]

Ouch. My sympathies. My fingers are crossed for you.

I only got my registration in at the very last minute for the last general election - by going up and hand-delivering the thing. I still don't know how I'd fallen *off* the electoral roll - some housemate doing something stupid, I assume - and then I just didn't notice. It was ouchy, and I felt damned stupid - but it's so easy for it to happen!

St Mary's College, Durham, managed to disenfranchise at least two of their students for the same election, and again, the students didn't notice in time. (Both students have British citizenship and citizenship in their country of residence. The College, when registering all students who live in, failed to notice that they had British citizenship and registered them only for the elections EU citizens can vote in.) I was unbelievably pissed off, and so indeed were they.

It's extraordinarily easy to fail to notice not being registered, is what I'm trying to say. Fingers crossed you've caught it in time! (Well ... they *are* crossed, but only because I assume you'll be voting the same way as me. It would be harder to keep them crossed in a spirit of democracy-appreciation if I thought you might not. :) )

[littlered2.livejournal.com]

I don't see any idiocy on your part. *hugs* I hope your forms arrive in time.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I hope so too! I feel like I should have known to begin with that nothing about this process would be easy, and have got on it the first second I could - I mean, it clearly isn't designed with overseas citizens in mind. Aaaargh.

[marymac.livejournal.com]

If it helps, I posted my registration three weeks ago, and the Electoral Register office is, oh, three streets from my house, and I've heard nothing back. I suspect that in NI at any rate, the registration deadline is going to have to get awfully bendy.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Heee! I wish I were from NI, I do!

[anotherusedpage.livejournal.com]

I managed to accidentally disenfranchise me and my girl in the last local elections in Barking just after we had moved there, and then the BNP vote was the highest it had ever been and of course that was down to missing our two votes, yes, and I hated myself for months and months over it.

Yeah, it's easy to do.

I hope you get it sorted. And if you don't, keep talking politics, and you'll be doing your bit. *hugs*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

For me it's slightly worse since Evan Harris lost by 200 votes. I am right now trying not to think about it too hard.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

The only way I've managed to get Richie quickly registered in West Lancs is by a. having been friends with J, one of the administration staff in the Electoral Register department, b. texting J on a semi-constant basis and getting Richie signed up as an electoral officer.

She freely admits without the connection it wouldn't have happened yet. They've been the front-line for the cuts. It is officially FAIL though. Good luck!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweetie, that's perversely reassuring. :)

[vampire-kitten.livejournal.com]

Could someone in the uk print and fill out the forms for you and send off today so it's only English post it is struggling through?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

They need my signature, unfortunately.

[vampire-kitten.livejournal.com]

Is it very wrong to diocese they work round the problem creatively (and backdate it to the last time you were in the country?)

[fyrdrakken]

Not entirely your own fault -- not when dealing with bureaucracy from overseas via unmotivated proxy. A pity you miss out this time around, but when you get back to the UK you can get things ironed out so you won't have this problem for the next election.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Alas, this is not an election, it's a referendum - if I don't vote this time I never will.