To find the fact we can vote without ID fairly worrying?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

A few months ago somebody came to our house asking me to confirm the person on the electoral register but also asked if there was anyone else to be added.

In fact years and years ago I added ExH without him being present.

So, for example, in my friends house she could have added the names of the 4 other non British Citizens in the household and surely they would then be on the register?

Opened account number one a long time ago (as a young teenager, I got a HMV voucher and bought a tape ) Opened the other four online, one just last month, no ID required.

@Bling

If you have a passport from another EU country you can't vote in general elections.

When you fill in the electoral registration form you are asked Nationality. If you tell them correctly, that you/husband etc, aren't British then they are entered onto the electoral roll but they aren't eligible to vote in general elections and will not receive a poll card.

that's the beauty of banks, i suppose.

i had a bank account opened when i was a baby.

since then, that's all i've needed for my bank to know i'm me: i've opened a few bank accounts with the same bank now and had loans and a credit card etc.
they know i'm me because i'm on their system - don't need to prove it.

WRT the voting, though - too few people in this country vote, you don't want to put off more by needing ID when they come to the polling station.

and what about homeless people?
they won't have ID, or a bill, but they're over 18 (and if homeless, btw, techincally not residing in this country....) and still have the right to vote..

tyler: i thought that anyone normally residing in this country gets a vote?

i don't have a birth certificate.

i have a british passport though.

Only in local and European elections. You have to be a UK citizen (or commonwealth or irish) to vote at national level

Who can register to vote?

Anyone aged 16 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18).

British or qualifying Commonwealth citizens. This means Commonwealth citizens who have leave to remain in the UK or do not require such leave.

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member states.

Who can vote?

British, Irish and qualifying citizens of Commonwealth countries (including Cyprus and Malta) can vote at all elections.

Citizens of other EU member states resident in the UK can vote in local government elections but cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections.

Those resident in Scotland or Wales may also vote in Scottish Parliamentary or National Assembly for Wales elections.

I think it's standard practise all over the world that people can vote without ID, probably to make the process as hassle-free as possible to encourage voter turn-out.

In my country people go to the polling booth as early as posssible because the later you leave it the greater the possibility that someone else has voted for you . When my mother was in the queue waiting to vote one year she saw a beggar saying he was Richard Branson (well not Richard Branson but equivalent local business tycoon) and none of the officials contested him on that or asked for ID . Highly unlikely that it was a case of having the same name as said businessman is of a different ethnic origin and therefore very unusual name.

Btw I am not a British citizen but could vote. (commonwealth country)

ooh, there you go, learn something new every day! (never needed to knwo, you see!)

not your megapixels! (X-post!)

mollythetortoise - thank you for explaining things from a poller's perspective.

It doesn't worry me TBH that you don't need ID, and the fact that you don't should act as an incentive to us all to go along and make sure no other bugger is nicking our vote.

I'm astonished that so many people think that everyone has some form of ID, including bills.

There are thousands of women who have nothing in their own name as everything to do with the home is in their husband's name. Many mothers or grandmothers of MNers will be in this situation (not all, but many!) and wives in cultures where the husband's dominance is presumed.

TBH Ecolady I am probably one of those people who thought everyone would have something with their name/address on it. Wow, no ID whatsoever, it has never crossed my mind that this could be a problem for some people but I am sure you are right.

I have written on another thread about my DH. He is unable to vote as he is away last minute on business, nothing he could do. My brother lives in the same town but has a different polling station. As we don't need ID he could turn up at our polling station give DH's details and vote as an illegal proxy for him.

So in theory, because our Council messed up and sent me a polling card despite having given my father my proxy because I'm not in the country, my sister, or any random person, could take my polling card and 'be me'?

Birth certificates are not proof of ID as anyone can apply for a copy of any of them (for a small fee). They can be useful in family history research and so are easy to order.

I voted this morning in the local election without polling card or ID. It did cross my mind that if I just gave my friend's name, I could have got to vote in the national election too (which I do not have the right to do). I do actually have a passport, but noone seemed to want to see it.

Ecolady, I'm astonished that there are women out there who don't have proof of who they are. In my job I have to ask people for ID and there have been women who don't have any as everything is in their husbands name, all bills and bank accounts. I find it odd that these women have no way of proving who they are.

Doesn't worry me at all, in fact it's refreshing to not have to produce 3 different bits of paper to prove I am who I am.

You can vote with a passport from another country if you have dual naionality.

MEGAPIXELS: In Germany you have to take the card and your ID with you. It has ben checked every time so far. My national ID actually expired without me noticing and I rushed around the house like crazy that day to find my passport (I know, my bad organisation skill)

I know some students here in the UK got polling cards and went to vote, even though they are EU citizens.

I never registered in Scotland as I figured I wouldn't be allowed to vote here. Is that right? I am still German after all and do vote there. This thread makes me wonder whether I should have just strolled up there yesterday

We assumed we'd need it and took it with us. Was surprised that it was requested.

Thanks Halibo. He wasn't allowed to - he was pretty upset but got over it.