ARmy Rumour SErvice

**cokecan** · 04-07-2012, 11:03

assembled Gentlepersons, your wisdom if you will...

i've just recieved an electoral registration form from my local, and apparently illiterate, district council. it says that i am required by law to register, and that either failing to do so, or providing false information, is liable to a fine not exceeding £1000.

now, what it doesn't do is say 'you must provide this information by X date or you will be deemed to be in contravention of the Act' (or whatever), just that you must do it, and please do it by Y date. i've checked the small print, i've re-read it, i'm absolutely sure that there is no cut-off date specified on the form.

for personal reasons i'd, for the moment, prefer to be as invisible to the wider world as possible - and by happy circumstance i find that they've spealt my surname incorrectly, turning it into a much more common name that is quite different to my surname.

so, fair arrsers, what is the situation: is this another law thats got a bit missing that means its unenforcable, is it actually enforcable, but nobody actually does so, and if i were to return the form with my usual appalling handwriting/signature and sadly having failed to notice that they'd spealt my name incorrectly, would there be any comeback?

to clarify - i'm out, i've no need for any financial products, i don't bother voting in local elections - and actually, i have a political problem with being required to partake in democracy: it seems somewhat oxy-moronic to me...

cheers.

**BarkingSpider** · 04-07-2012, 15:00

Tell them you didn't open the letter as it didn't have your name on the envelope.

**skid2** · 04-07-2012, 15:31

Anything addressed to an associates place in Derry titled The Occupier. The youngest one in the house delivered it to the army base up the street. I thought it was funny, still do

**Hexitele** · 04-07-2012, 15:34

You've blown your cover now by posting. We're on our way to come and get you. For this you will pay.

**DB216LOKDVR** · 04-07-2012, 15:40

Attend said Council and complete a copy of Certificate of Anonymous Registration.

You are able to vote but are not on the General Voters List.

**Tremaine** · 04-07-2012, 15:41

The letters are speculative fishing for the great unregistered, who haven't bothered or don't wish to be found. Though there's always your Doctor's records, used by credit firms and collectors. There are two versions of the register - the full version and the edited version. Your details will appear on the full version of the register, but you can 'opt out' " on the registration form. The full register is "used for elections, preventing and detecting crime", and checking applications for credit. The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing and finding credit defaulters. It may be that opting out will not prevent disclosures to credit reference agencies.

Registering to vote - About my vote, produced by The Electoral Commission

**DB216LOKDVR** · 04-07-2012, 15:47

Or do as one old soldier (in his 80's) down my street does, and tell thems when they visit that he's a member of the Armed Forces and does the postal vote, keeps them off his back for a short while.

**vvaannmmaann** · 04-07-2012, 16:01

I'm still waiting for the Census Police to come and get me for not filling in the 2011 census forms.

**cokecan** · 04-07-2012, 16:15

Originally Posted by vvaannmmaann

I'm still waiting for the Census Police to come and get me for not filling in the 2011 census forms.

me too...

has anyone heard of anyone getting done for not bothering to send back the Electoral Registration forms - or is it just 'do what you like, we don't care...'?

**Mr_Fingerz** · 04-07-2012, 16:22

s13D(1) Representation Of The People Act 1983 applies. The provision of any false information is an offence.

The penalties as set out in s13D(6) of that Act are:

A term of imprisonment not exceeding 51 weeks, or;
A penalty not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale. or;
Both.

A false signature constitutes "false information" for the purposes of the Act.