Problem with the Electoral Register Form, for Norwegians (and other non-EU European) citizens, living in Britain.

When I moved to my new flat in Leather Lane in Liverpool, from the shared house I had lived in for almost a year in Walton, then there where a lot of new things to sort out.

I had to get a card for the electricity, since the Estate Agents, told me that it was a monthly bill meter, in the flat, but it wasn't, it was prepayment-meter.

So I had to get Scottish Power to send me a card, so that I could get to buy the electricity-tickets that are needed, to get the power on, with these meters.

So for the first couple of days, I was without electricity in the new flat, but there were some problems in the share house in Walton, so I just wanted to move from there, as soon as I could.

So I just got my stuff into a taxi, the same day, as I got the keys to the appartment.

It wasn't that much stuff, since a year before, I had to run from Norway, with only the clothes I was wearing, since I was chased away by some people with guns and dogs, and who I overheard wanted to kill or injure me, from my uncles farm, in Kvelde in Larvik in Norway.

So I'm really a refugee from Norway, I've found out that I must define myself as, since I've been trying to get help from the Norwegian Government, a lot of times, after this, but I haven't managed to get and help with this problem, and the other problems in Norway.

Other things that were new to me, were the Council Tax-bills, since in Walton, in the shared house, noone had to pay Council Tax, for some reason.

But I was mostly occupied, with trying to sort the problems in Norway, and a Finish girl at work, at Arvato, Taru, offered me to take over her room in the shared house in Mandeville St., and I didn't have anywhere to live that weekend, due to the hostel being fully booked due to the Matthew St. festival 05.

So I found out, that I needed proper sleep, to keep my new job at Arvato, so I decided to rent the room there for six months, even if I didn't like that there was things lying in the stairs, and that the other tenants there, Steven and Melissa, looked a bit shabby dressed, when I was there to look at the house.

But other than that, they had good burgers etc., at the takeaway resturants in Walton, so don't think it was that bad living there, but I overheard a lot of stuff, and I think there were some setups in the house, so for the last months I lived there, I mostly stayed in my room.

So I found out, when I inherited some money from Norway, that I should try to find another place to live.

But back to the Electoral Register Form.

I got this, one of the first days, after I had moved in to the new flat, if I remeber correctly.

And I was bit stressed then, because I had to buy new stuff for the kitchen, and the rest of the house, since I didn't have that much stuff, since I had to leave the suitcase with the remaining clothes etc. I had in Sunderland, on my uncles farm, when I ran from there.

And my other stuff from Oslo, is in a rented storage in Oslo.

At least I hope so, I haven't been at the storage since 2004, but I'm quite up to date, and have agreed about how to sort with the payments, so it should be alright.

So I bought some stuff for the flat, and some clothes etc., but I still haven't got that much clothes etc., that I used to have in Oslo and Sunderland, because it wasn't like a fortune I inherited, and the new rent was much higher, than in the shared house, so the money soon disapeared.

So I guess I was a bit stressed maybe, when I filled in the Electoral Register Form.

It says on the form, that 'You are entiteled to vote if you are a British, Irish, European or qualifying Commonwealth citizen'.

It also says, see overleaf for more details.

But the last years in Norway, I haven't really voted I must admit, since I haven't really been sure which party I agree with most, so I haven't been in the habbit of voteing since the EU-election in Norway in 94.

I have always had a lot of other things to do, like work, computer-stuff, problems with the car etc.

I've always been more or less very busy since the nineties.

But anyway.

But it also says, that one can get a fine, if one don't send in the form.

So I thought it was best to send in the form.

I know from Norway, that foreign citizens, are allowed to vote in the local elections, so that's why I didn't reflect on the European citizen meant EU citizen, on the Electoral Register form.

I guessed it could mean EU-citizen doe, since on the John Lennon Airport in Liverpool, it says 'European Citizens', there as well, and it means EU-citizens.

I remember that, since I went in that queue, when I came with the plane from Amsterdam, in July 05, when I had ran away from the people chasing me from my uncles farm in Larvik.

I went in that queue, since the sign says 'European Citizen', but I think on the passport control station, of what its called, it says 'EU citizens'.

So I remember feeling a bit trapped, because then I should have turned around, and pushed away all the people in the queue behind me from the plane, and gone to other passport control box.

But I thought that would be a bit stressful, so I just went to the UK/European box, even if I was Norwegian, and they didn't say anything, they just let me through, after checking my passport.

Here is how the form looks, and how I filled it in:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aWqZRqBc6skxKyd4RMI1P682SewkXEFLyEO2NF7nghhr4feqotTneytl7wQf5QWWBjM_tUh3ddcGcYBIFE2oT8MJHtf-YwntM-J4ZIui6Yc7z05yOWRBTUKc5ooHL49y0EyLyQ3aRBB4/s1600-h/valgskjema0001+eksempel.JPG

Then, I got a letter back, I think it must have been a couple of months later:

http://johncons-mirror.blogspot.com/2008/02/letter-from-electoral-services-unit.html

Complaining that I couldn't be in the Electoral Register, since I was Norwegian.

On the form it says that, British, Irish, European and Commonwealth citizens, are allowed to vote.

But in the letter it says that only British, Commonwealth or European Union citizens are allowd to vote.

I'm not sure why they don't write European Union citizens on the form, since I was, like I explained, a bit busy at the time I filled in the form, and was mostly concerned about not getting a fine, so I didn't read the overleaf, for more details.

Since I didn't really think it was that important, I had heard I was followed by 'the mafia' in Norway, and I had had to run from Norway, so I had other issues on my mind, that I found more important, than the Electoran Register Form.

Not that this is any 'personal' against this form, it was just that I had a lot of other things on my mind.

So Norwegian citizens who are planning to live in Britain, should be aware of this, that when it says 'European', on a form or a sign, in Britain, it isn't always meant as the geographical Europe, it's also sometimes in the meaning of the political Europe, that is the European Union.

In Norway, I think most people think of Norway as a part of Europe.

At least we learn this in school, in the georgraphy-lectures, that Norway is in Europe.

But from the form, it says, British, Irish, European and Commonwealth citizens.

Britain is in the EU and in the Commonwealth.

Ireland is in the EU, but I'm not sure if they are in the Commonwealth.

So maybe it would have been suficient to write that European Union and Commonwealth citizens are allowed to vote.

But I'm not sure if Brits think that they are really a European country.

Maybe Brits think that they are really just Brits, and that Europe is like overseas.

This would just be speculation on my behalf, so I can't say this for sure.

But I think that sometimes the forms (and the signs), are a bit unclear about this, which countries that really are in Europe or not.

So one should keep this is mind, if one are like eg. from Norway, and are living in Britain, that there is a geographical Europe, a political Europe, and also an economical Europe.

And that which countries who are in the different Europes, vary.

So one should keep this at mind, and try to figure out which Europe it is that is meant on eg. a form or sign.

I remember a Trondish girl I used to know in Norway. (I don't know her anymore, she's a bit to freakish I think now, and I don't really trust her).

But I remember she said once, that she had been in Britain.

This must have been in the eighties, I think.

And then she said, that a women, where she and her friend lived, had told her that 'You're are from Norway, so you're not European, since Norway aren't in the EU'.

I remember she said that.

So, I think this is the same problem.

That when people talk about Europe in Britain, then they sometimes mean the political Europe, that is the EU.

Where as in Norway, when people talk about Europe, then they think about the geographical Europe.

That is Europe like it's on the map, like we learn in school in Norway:


This I think is a cultural difference, between Norway and Britain, that I think Norwegians moving to Britain, should maybe be a bit aware of.

Or maybe everybody knows it from before, and it's only me who's being stupid.

I really knew about this a bit from before myself, I must admit, after hearing about it from the Trondish girl.

But sometimes, if one are moving into a new flat etc., and if one have a lot of things on ones mind, then it's maybe easy sometimes to make a mistake about things like this, so I guess I should try to be more aware myself.

So we'll see if I'll remember that.

We'll see.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/maps_of_world_europe.jpg