Our RIGHT!
How should a people be governed, and by whom? That’s one of the great questions which has dominated human history. Democracy is imperfect, but as Churchill once said – “democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
The vote is both a responsibility of a citizen (We have the responsibility for choosing who makes the decisions – and for holding them to account for they way they have carried out the tasks we delegate to them) and a prize for which many have been prepared to sacrifice their liberty and even life.
Today is the first “National Voter Registration Day” in the UK – and it is intended to celebrate it on this day each year hereafter. A number of organisations are encouraging as many people as possible to register. If you haven’t registered yet – please do so. A form should have been sent to your property in late summer, early autumn last year – but if you have moved, you might have missed it.
If you have any questions about whether you are registered, or whether you are entitled to vote – get in touch with the Electoral Registration Office at Milton Keynes Council (01908) 252529 – or if you live outside MK your District or Borough Council. You can pop in your post code at http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/ & you can get the needed form and where it needs to be sent.
Who can vote?
You have to be 18 years old in order to vote. If you are 16 or 17 years old you can register, but need to include your date of birth. You will be able to vote in elections as soon as you turn 18.
In order to register to vote you need to be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. If you are a citizen of a European Union country, other than Britain or Ireland, you can register to vote for local government and European Parliamentary elections only.
West of Watling Street 