Politics, using fandom, and The Leaky Cauldron site

[carolynwhite2]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, Przemyslaw Plaskowicki 
<przepla at g...> wrote:

> I can not vouch for every country in the EU, but at least in Poland
> (and I believe in other EU members with compulsory national ID 
cards)
> you need to register only when you are living in the place different
> than specified on your ID card.  Nevertheless, maybe people need to
> register in the UK, since UK does not have compulsory ID cards.
> 

Carolyn:
As we do not (yet) have ID cards, you have to be on an Electoral 
Register to be entitled to vote in the UK. These are maintained by 
local authorities and are normally updated annually by contacting 
people at their last known address. However, you can also apply to go 
on the Electoral Register at any time (eg if you move house). When 
you receive the forms, you are also obliged by law to report any 
changes to the people living in your house from last time.

Essentially, to be accepted on the Electoral Register you have to be:
- a British citizen, resident at a UK address
- over 16 (although you cannot actually vote at any election until 
you are 18)

Famously, the three most well-known groups of people excluded by law 
from the Electoral Register, and thus from voting are:
- criminals
- the mentally incapacitated
- members of the House of Lords

There are numerous additional rules to cover the voting rights of 
other groups, such as the homeless, the illiterate, British citizens 
living overseas, and nationals in the Irish Republic and EU, all of 
which are detailed at this website:

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/your-
vote/yourvotefaqs.cfm/faqs/53