Election May 2005

Anyone received their oversead voter postal ballot yet ?

Received mine today but I'm sure I read somewhere that the deadline for sending them back is today.

The deadline for applying for them was today.

Still waiting for mine.

As a long time resident of Germany I am no longer eligible to vote in the UK elections but as a British Citizen I can't vote in German general elections either. I have always thought that you should be able to vote in the country where you pay taxes. I wouldn`t vote in the UK even if I could. I think that having made the decision to leave a country and no longer make any financial contribution to that country should mean one could no longer vote in their elections. Obviously people do not share my view hence the above posts. Anyone any thoughts on the subject?

We should be able to vote in our country of residence, those issues affect us we should have a say.

i agree about not voting in a country where you no longer reside and no longer pay taxes. On the hand residing and paying taxes in a country should not be enough to make you eligable to vote. I believe in a combination of citizenship and vested interest. If one of the two is absent, then so should the right to vote.

I have not voted in the UK since John Major was elected Prime Minister.

I demand the right to never be allowed to vote ever again!

What's all this crap about being able to vote in European elections but not vote in German elections anyway? (not that I'm too bothered)

You'd think the politicians would, at least, be able to get the voting systems sorted out clearly. Maybe they should allow sending text messages from mobiles as votes? I don't think you can actually cheat at that? Not like the post! At least they can eliminate duplicate votes from the same number! Oh and they could earn loads of dosh from the election too Even if everyone in Manchester suddenly has ten phones each, oh they probably have those anyway, from the market stall

I don't do politics and according to the advertising I therefore lie in a box in statis for years on end without doing anything else! That's a bit of a cheeky attitude.
So I won't make any more comments on the britboard as most of them are 'political'.

Put me down as a "don't know" for all answers!

I didn't vote in the last General Election but when the British Primeminister makes decisions which effect the rest of the world then I think it's worth voting.

As for voting in the country where we pay taxes, I agree we should be able to vote. It's just a shame that the German government is stuck in the dark ages and doesn't allow dual nationality. No German citizenship, no vote.

@Alien
It is your democratic right "not to do politics" if you so desire.
Be grateful then that you dont live in Australia, it was compulsory when I lived there. (still is)

do you mean that everyone in the entire world should be able to vote in the UK elections?

I do think it sucks that you can live here and pay taxes but can't vote in Germany if you are not a German citizen - but they do allow dual nationality. My boyfriend has dual nationality and holds two passports (one of which is German) and can and does vote in two countries. Maybe it depends on what the other nationality is?

How long do you have to be resident outside of the UK before they say you can no longer vote there?

Fifteen years. Can't remember where I read that - somewhere on this board probably.

it is 15 years. I read it on the embassy website.

Dual nationality is, imvho, a good compromise. It means you have a vested interest in the country where you wish to vote. What i would not like to see is people being given the right to vote just because they pay taxes but then only staying for a few years. Admittedly anyone can leave any country whenever they so wish but if you have chosen to take on the citizenship of that country, i think it shows the committment needed.

You have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise you might end up with people working 2-3 years, then 2-3 years there and wanting to vote where the are living just because they pay taxes, although I understand that this is then "unfair" to long-term residents who can't or have chosen not to take on citizenship of that country.

I'm still waiting for my ballot paper.

I also wouldn't/don't vote, I don't see why I should partake in something that would/could effect the lives of other people but have no effect on mine.

I haven't voted since Maggie was re-elected, and I'm of the oppinion that all major politicians are in it for "the love of the game", they don't care about the general public.

Love her or hate her, Maggie was probably (one of) the last "conviction politician(s)". Since then we seem to have been lumbered with "professional politicians", who's soul interest is in getting reelected. This, unfortunately, seems to be a problem common to all the major democracies.