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jackhttps://storify.com/sturdyalex/non-british-eu-citizens-denied-a-vote-in-european?utm_source=l.facebook.com&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_campaign=&awesm=sfy.co_rWA4
Does anyone know more about this?
Many people report being EU citizens resident in UK who thought they were registered to vote, but weren't given a vote in the European elections. Is this just a case of forms being genuinely accidentally lost? Or some sort of central snafu?
Is the process of registering to vote supposed to be different for non-UK EU citizens? Several people referred to a "second form" which they were supposed to have received, but apparently went astray.
Update 1
EU citizens resident in the UK should be able to vote in the European elections (which is obvious to me). But:
1. Apparently they have to submit some additional form in order to register to vote, which most people were never sent, and never given any instruction about. Is that right? What form? Is that required, or is it a UK-specific extra hurdle?
2. Why did many people not receive it?
3. At least some people manning polling booths apparently thought eu citizens shouldn't be able to vote, or that it didn't matter. Obviously some people do lose their vote through paperwork snafus, but it shouldn't happen systematically! How on earth can "who can vote" and "everyone who's entitled to vote, should be able to vote" not be something you have to learn before running an election?
Footnote
I'm hyper-aware of any systematic disenfranchisement, even at fairly small scales, because it often might just be a miscommunication that doesn't have any effect, but I know how easy it is for it to have been a wider effect than people realised, or for someone to take advantage and deliberately spread it, if disenfranchising people advantages whichever party they support.
Many people report being EU citizens resident in UK who thought they were registered to vote, but weren't given a vote in the European elections. Is this just a case of forms being genuinely accidentally lost? Or some sort of central snafu?
Is the process of registering to vote supposed to be different for non-UK EU citizens? Several people referred to a "second form" which they were supposed to have received, but apparently went astray.
Update 1
EU citizens resident in the UK should be able to vote in the European elections (which is obvious to me). But:
1. Apparently they have to submit some additional form in order to register to vote, which most people were never sent, and never given any instruction about. Is that right? What form? Is that required, or is it a UK-specific extra hurdle?
2. Why did many people not receive it?
3. At least some people manning polling booths apparently thought eu citizens shouldn't be able to vote, or that it didn't matter. Obviously some people do lose their vote through paperwork snafus, but it shouldn't happen systematically! How on earth can "who can vote" and "everyone who's entitled to vote, should be able to vote" not be something you have to learn before running an election?
Footnote
I'm hyper-aware of any systematic disenfranchisement, even at fairly small scales, because it often might just be a miscommunication that doesn't have any effect, but I know how easy it is for it to have been a wider effect than people realised, or for someone to take advantage and deliberately spread it, if disenfranchising people advantages whichever party they support.