Are you ready for an election?
Posted by Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, at 10:31, Wed 3 October 2007:
I am sure it cannot have escaped your notice that Gordon Brown has been dithering over calling a snap general election in the near future. As Labour and Tories slog it out in marginal constituencies in middle England for who will be the next prime minister, one of the things Gordon Brown seems least concerned about is whether voters will be prepared. Normally elections happen with plenty of notice. So if people cannot make it to the polling booth on election day, they can ask to vote by post in advance or arrange for someone else vote on their behalf. With what could be literally only a few weeks notice for a national poll, I dread to think of the potential chaos as people scramble to make sure they can have their say. The Bush v. Gore election fiasco in the US in 2000 stands as a good reminder of the dangers of people not being able to cast their vote.
So if there is a possibility that you might be away or not able to vote in person if there was an election called in the next few weeks, it is certainly worth considering requesting a postal vote or a proxy vote now. To do this you should download the official form below and return it to the local electoral service office.
I am very much looking forward to continuing to be champion for local residents, but most important of all I hope all residents get a chance to have their say.
Kind regards,
Lynne Featherstone MP Lib Dem Member of Parliament for Hornsey & Wood Green
PS - There's nothing lost if you register and an election is not called. But it's better to be safe not sorry and make sure you don't lose your right to vote!
Postal vote request form: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/application_to_vote_by_post.doc
Proxy vote (someone voting on your behalf) request form: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/proxy_vote_application_form3.pdf
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