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Original poster

To be shocked #deniedmyvote

100 replies

DizzyPigeon · 23/05/2019 13:31

I haven't been denied my vote, but I'm shocked to hear that EU citizens in the UK have been denied a vote despite being registered and previously voting, because of a form the should have been sent, but never received.

OK, ianbu.

But it could be seen as a deliberate attempt to reduce the remainder vote in the elections which the Conservative Party (or at least the leader of the tories) wanted to avoid taking place.

OP posts:
AleFailTrail · 23/05/2019 14:45

My house was damaged in a major accident and I’ve had to stay at a temporary address over 18 months with no legal right of abode. The council my house was in has said I am not eligible to vote there now because 18 months, where my temp address is has said no because it’s temporary. Born and raised a UK citizen and denied the right to vote at all

badlydrawnperson · 23/05/2019 15:04

It would be really good IF May were to revoke article 50 (if she can) as a farewell act.

She can't. That ship sailed with Gina Miller's intervention.

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 23/05/2019 15:04

I am in Lewisham Borough . My Polling card came weeks ago .
No issues in my area or at the Polling station .

Notabedofroses · 23/05/2019 15:16

Elections should not be happening, and MEP unlikely to even take their seats, so I guess not much has been lost for anyone that hasn't voted.

Notabedofroses · 23/05/2019 15:17

Maybe remainers getting their excuses in early!

Fuzzyspringroll · 23/05/2019 15:38

As an EU citizen, I wasn't allowed to vote in the referendum. We moved abroad (after 14 years in the UK) last year, partly due to the issues with Brexit. As in, I'd rather jump before I get pushed.
DH now wanted to vote in the EU elections but missed the deadline for his postal vote. I don't think he ever got anything sent from the UK. He's British. It's a bit odd.

WhatUserNA · 23/05/2019 15:46

Places that have been named as turning away voters:

Lewisham (Lab)
Manchester (Lab)
Camden (Lab)
Tower Hamlets (Lab)

Anyone notice a common factor?

tenredthings · 23/05/2019 15:49

I think it's apalling that so many Eu citizens in the uk and British in Europe have been denied their right to vote. It smacks of conspiracy because I'm sure most of them are against Brexit.

forkfun · 23/05/2019 15:53

@Playmytune any EU citizen living in another EU country can only vote in one country for European elections. You get to choose which one, and have to sign a declaration.
As a EU citizen living in the UK, I can vote in local elections and European elections if I choose to. I cannot vote in general elections. The same is true for UK citizens living in other EU countries.

caringcarer · 23/05/2019 15:56

We did not get card either but still went to vote. You don't need card to vote. They ask you name and address.

PookieDo · 23/05/2019 16:05

I voted this afternoon with no card
Just that many many people didn’t get a card I thought unusual!

Stoic123 · 23/05/2019 16:06

Same here- no voting card but just showed my driving licence.

Justanotherlurker · 23/05/2019 16:09

It smacks of conspiracy because I'm sure most of them are against Brexit.

It smacks more of local government incompetence, also we didn't expect to be having this vote anyway.

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/voter-registration-shambles-for-eu-citizens-1-6016023

Ces6 · 23/05/2019 16:10

do Brits living abroad get to vote in all U.K. elections?
No! We didn't even get a vote in the referendum if we had lived abroad for over 15 years. For EU elections we can choose to vote in the UK or where we live. I am voting in Italy because 1) I live here and 2) I don't trust the UK system to actually count my vote - every election I hear stories of postal votes being sent out too late to be counted. It's an ongoing problem that nobody has the will to sort.

greenelephantscarf · 23/05/2019 16:11

eu citizens living in another eu country can vote

  • local elections in the country they live in
  • government elections in the country of citizenship (unless it's time restricted)
  • eu elections - choice of resident or citizen country (but you have to decide which)
Ces6 · 23/05/2019 16:11

I have a question too. If you don't have to show ID, what's to stop you voting for/as someone else?

greenelephantscarf · 23/05/2019 16:13

I have a question too. If you don't have to show ID, what's to stop you voting for/as someone else?

your consience Confused

Ces6 · 23/05/2019 16:14

But a lot of people don't have one! Wink

PookieDo · 23/05/2019 16:26

I didn’t have to show ID
Was empty in my station

TeacupDrama · 23/05/2019 16:31

well not the not helping the housebound or those in care homes fill in forms to get postal votes could be construed as helping remain
I think it is incompetence at council level rather than a conspiracy to stop the old or those living abroad voting
if we were to believe some folks everyone living abroad would support a remain party every old person would support leave so they cancel each other out
Even if that were true it is not good enough, but I think the haste in which we were suddenly voting when we thought we would be out probably accounts for it rather than a grand conspiracy

woman19 · 23/05/2019 16:34

Reposting from another thread.

Another Polish national, Piotr Klaskala, said: “What I find particularly surprising is that I could see my name and current address on the list in the polling station (which suggests that I have registered successfully) but it was crossed out

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/23/eu-citizens-denied-vote-european-election-polling-booths-admin-errors

@the3million
UPDATE: we have just received a phone call from the Electoral Commission - they have been receiving many complaints via our email template. It is working!

If #DeniedMyVote has happened to you today then please find template email & instructions below.

@the3million
#DeniedMyVote? We are urging all EU citizens to COMPLAIN to the Electoral commission.

Template letter/email here:
twitter.com/the3million/status/1131530441532596224

Flowers to all affected and many apologies on behalf of this country.

Election malpractice could well invalidate the result.

Corrine81 · 23/05/2019 16:34

I doubt it very much, if they were denied is because they were not on the roll.
And you don’t need ID, they have a list of all the registered people and just ticked them off when they show up.

RandomlyChosenName · 23/05/2019 16:35

I find it a bit bizarre that people living in another EU country can vote for the area of the country they're from in the EU elections.

If I moved into a different constituency in the UK I would then vote for that constitutancy candidates in the GE. I couldn't choose to vote in the area I moved out of instead.

Why isn't to do with where you are living on X date?

badlydrawnperson · 23/05/2019 16:36

Isn't there an ID requirement in some places? (but not all?)

LimeKiwi · 23/05/2019 16:42

But it could be seen as a deliberate attempt to reduce the remainder vote in the elections which the Conservative Party (or at least the leader of the tories) wanted to avoid taking place.

Oh, give over. I say that as someone who voted Remain as well!
Talk about tin foil hat conspiracy theories.

@Nesssie
Is this the new excuse when a party loses now?

Exactly!
Sounds more like incompetence to me.

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