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I Renewed My Electoral Registration In Record Time Today - A Challenge For US Voters [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-07-26

Today I got an email from my local London Borough’s election registration office asking me to confirm the details for my apartment. A new annual register will become operative next February and is legally based on who is “ordinarily” resident on September 30 (yes there are provisions for later changes but these are the legal base dates and the Registrars like to get their work done betimes. Tradition ya know. BTW No, we are not expected to be psychic and predict who will be living with us two months in the future.) I had already registered by completing and posting in a paper form, more years ago than I care to remember, so it was just a confirmation of my details.

I got onto their web site via portal service used by many councils:

Entered the two code numbers in their e-mail plus my postcode [not SE7 4ZA but that format] which identifies my apartment block, a level of security in case someone intercepted my email.

Clicked yes and enter on the screen asking me to confirm that this was the address I was registering.

That brought up a screen where I could confirm my details and enter details of any more electors at my address who need to be sent registration forms. When I clicked my name as the sole elector, my details screen popped up. Rather than just confirm I updated my data to include my mobile[cell]phone number. Successful at second attempt to enter the required format [Do you replace the 0 with the country code +44? Do you separate the four provider identifying numbers after the 0 from the last 6 subscriber number? Always fun if the programmers are dim.]

Confirmed the updated details which were copied to a declaration screen, clicked the box to confirm that it was me and the details are correct, Honest Guv. Clicked enter to make the submission a legal declaration.

Final screen tells me a confirmation e-mail will be sent to me (another level of security).

It took longer to describe the process than it took to register even when it took two goes to enter my phone number. Under 4 minutes, but then I am a fast reader (and when I give blood samples a fast bleeder).

Earlier this year they sent me a form to give my current signature for my postal vote, I think this is an every 5 years thing as people’s signatures do change. I believe they had to start sending them out with the silly Tory attempt to suppress votes by requiring voter ID. The range of acceptable ID was so big virtually everyone had one or several.

That apart, this is how easy this is in the London Borough of Lewisham and most if not every other registration offices in Britain. The voters living in a property remain on the electoral register subject to their annual confirmation or any changes, typically to add children who would become eligible to vote in the second following February i. e aged roughly 16 ½ or 14 ½ for some elections in Scotland. This could also affect Commonwealth citizens whose country leaves and who consequently loose their right to vote in the UK (or citizens whose countries join/rejoin and they become eligible to vote in all elections), [I did the electoral registration as overtime one year, the complexities of voting eligibility when we were in the EU were even more fun.]

So four or five minute or less on-line to re-register to vote which will run to February 2025. IIRC, I could have asked to confirm my details by sending the code numbers and postcode by SMS messages in less time, if I didn’t have big fingers. Mind you we haven’t taken the next step and vote on-line like the Estonians — although I think they use a citizen ID card reader to access all services and traditionally the British are averse to a national ID card requirement.

What’s the problem in the USA?

Please note:

This is an extended version of a comment I made on an open thread earlier. It is not meant to challenge the competency or motives of those who work on elector registrations in the USA. This is merely to point out that the local non-political civil servants who run British elections seem to have got their act together to meet their legal obligations to complete an accurate register, in conformity with national legislation. The result would seem to be a lot smoother way for the citizen to secure their vote compared to some tales from the USA we read.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/26/2183452/-I-Renewed-My-Electoral-Registration-In-Record-Time-Today-A-Challenge-For-US-Voters

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