As I promised in my first blog, here is the advice on how you can register to vote in the 2014 local and European elections. Your participation in these elections is essential (I will explain why in my next blog) therefore it is very important to register on time before the deadline on the 6th of May 2014. Another date for your diary – elections are on the 22nd May 2014.
So, if you are a citizen of one the EU member states or from one of the Commonwealth countries and you are 16 and over, you can join the electoral register to exercise your voting rights.
How can you register?
I know that there is a lot of misinformation and many “myths” which make you feel that electoral registration is both extremely difficult and a waste of time.. Don’t worry, it is not so complicated and it doesn’t take more than five minutes. All you have to do is visit the “About my Vote” webpage and particularly the link for electoral registration. There you can print your blank form and fill it with the right information about you.
Done it? Great!
The next step is even easier than the first one; just sign the form and send it back to the local Electoral Registration Office (ERO). If you don’t know where it is, just click here and enter your postcode in the dedicated space. When you press “find” the address will appear immediately. Now you are on board and for the next year you will not need to register again, unless you change address.
If you are a student living far from your home address or a person without a fixed address, there are bespoke solutions for you. Students are allowed to register at both their permanent and temporary addresses; and for people without a fixed address, it was sufficient to present a “declaration of local connection” to the ERO.
That’s all the essential information you need for registration. Now, are you ready to make your voice heard in the elections? Well, not so fast! Being registered does not mean that you can vote for everything! First of all, if you are 16 years old you will have to wait until you become 18 in order to exercise your right to vote. Furthermore if you are a Commonwealth citizen (but not from UK, Malta or Cyprus) you can only vote for the local election and not for EU election.
Now you know everything you need to know about voter registration. Please share our blog and help other people to register and to exercise their democratic right, because every vote counts and can make the difference!
*If you have questions or doubts don’t hesitate to ask us: we will be happy to help you! Contact us by email, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #IamSomebody.
