# The BBC Presents: A Voting Don'ts FAQ
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 6, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502 "2010-05-06T12:58:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/1 "2010-05-06T12:58:52Z")
Our good friends at the Beeb have thoughtfully put together [a helpful FAQ outlining the things one shouldn’t do when casting one’s vote](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8661984.stm) in the upcoming UK election.
I thought it might make interesting reading for our American friends, at any rate. 😉
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### Author:  [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/2 "2010-05-06T14:18:46Z")
I see you’re allowed to take a dog to the polling station, and that you’re not allowed to let your kid mark your ballot for you, but I don’t see anything about not letting your dog mark the ballot card.
“This ballot has dogshit on it…that’s one vote for the BNP.”
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### Author:  [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/3 "2010-05-06T14:25:07Z")
If you bring two or more dogs, the polling station staff will hold their leashes while you vote? They’ll watch your kids while you vote? Really? I can’t imagine that going over here.
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### Author:  [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/4 "2010-05-06T14:38:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> There’s a candidate standing in Westminster as a pirate. And if he comes in to vote in a pirate costume as is likely, we won’t turn him away. The same goes for any supporters coming to vote as pirates.
Dammit, missed a chance to go in fancy dress. We don’t have a pirate candidate\* but we do have a _Monster Raving Loony_ guy who wears a carrot costume. Are you allowed to go dressed as a pirate and vote for a bloke dressed as a carrot?
- Milton Keynes, a pirate would be silly. We get carrot man.
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/5 "2010-05-06T14:46:06Z")
> [@Duke](#):
>
> I see you’re allowed to take a dog to the polling station, and that you’re not allowed to let your kid mark your ballot for you, but I don’t see anything about not letting your dog mark the ballot card.
>
> “This ballot has dogshit on it…that’s one vote for the BNP.”
_snerk_
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### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/6 "2010-05-06T15:11:53Z")
> [@Duke](#):
>
> “This ballot has dogshit on it…that’s one vote for the BNP.”
> [@BBC](#):
>
> …So if you prefer you can use a pen. **You can even mark the box with a tick instead**. The important thing is that your voting intention is clear.
So would this be a vote for the louses?
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### Author:  [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/7 "2010-05-06T15:25:57Z")
More indication that the election is going to the dogs:
> [@](#):
>
> The Labour candidate for Bootle on Merseyside has had the tip of his finger bitten off by a dog while out campaigning. Joe Benton, 77, was taken to hospital after the animal bit him as he pushed an election leaflet through a letter box. Mr Benton has been unable to vote for himself as a result and will not be able to attend tonight’s count.
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### Author:  [@JohnnyMac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyMac)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/8 "2010-05-06T15:40:38Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#):
>
> Dammit, missed a chance to go in fancy dress. We don’t have a pirate candidate\* but we do have a _Monster Raving Loony_ guy who wears a carrot costume. Are you allowed to go dressed as a pirate and vote for a bloke dressed as a carrot?
The Monster Raving Loony Party’s still about? I thought they’d disbanded! I thought the Blah! Party was the nearest equivalent these days. I wonder where I got that idea.
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### Author:  [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/9 "2010-05-06T20:38:43Z")
Possibly from the death of Screaming Lord Sutch. Doesn’t Westminster have two pirate candidates?
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/10 "2010-05-06T21:04:48Z")
… is this a joke, or are British people completely unaccustomed to the rigors of the franchise?
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### Author:  [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/11 "2010-05-06T21:40:55Z")
This year is probably the first time in over a decade that there’s going to be a very high voter turnout, including a large fraction of people who’ve been 18 for \>5 years who have never voted before in their lives…
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### Author:  [@JohnnyMac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyMac)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/12 "2010-05-06T21:52:05Z")
> [@blindboyard](#):
>
> Possibly from the death of Screaming Lord Sutch. Doesn’t Westminster have two pirate candidates?
This would make sense, except that I clearly remember him having a predecessor :smack:
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/13 "2010-05-06T22:04:56Z")
**I’m a member of the Royal Family. Can I vote?**
Are there really so many in the Royal Family that this merits a question? I mean, the answers seem to be pretty relaxed and even a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the questions all seem straightforward.
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### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/14 "2010-05-07T03:21:22Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> **I’m a member of the Royal Family. Can I vote?**
>
> Are there really so many in the Royal Family that this merits a question? I mean, the answers seem to be pretty relaxed and even a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the questions all seem straightforward.
I think you have to be from the Commonwealth to fully appreciate the sublime sense of humour that the BBC’s online outlet is capable of in some situations.
They could just say “Can members of the Royal Family Vote?” But that’s a bit too straightfoward. There’s a lot of members of the Royal Family, including fairly minor ones who are 281st in line for the Throne and things like that, so it’s an amusing but potentially valid question to ask in a slightly fun and tongue-in-cheek way. 😉
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/15 "2010-05-07T03:39:07Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> I think you have to be from the Commonwealth to fully appreciate the sublime sense of humour that the BBC’s online outlet is capable of in some situations.
>
> They could just say “Can members of the Royal Family Vote?” But that’s a bit too straightfoward. There’s a lot of members of the Royal Family, including fairly minor ones who are 281st in line for the Throne and things like that, so it’s an amusing but potentially valid question to ask in a slightly fun and tongue-in-cheek way. 😉
Ha. I’m usually pretty good at detecting subtle humor like that, but apparently not good enough. 😛
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### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/16 "2010-05-07T03:50:50Z")
> [@JohnnyMac](#):
>
> The Monster Raving Loony Party’s still about? I thought they’d disbanded!
They’re still about, and as Loony as ever. I rather liked their proposal to change the lions on the Coat of Arms to badgers. 😃
Also, apparently, if you stand as a Monster Raving Loony Party candidate in a seat and get too many votes, that means you’re not Loony enough and you get kicked out of the party.
I wish they’d form an Australian branch. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/17 "2010-05-07T04:17:10Z")
> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> … is this a joke, or are British people completely unaccustomed to the rigors of the franchise?
If you refer to the [Monster Raving Loony Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Raving_Looney_Party), they’re real and have actually had some electoral success. I have voted on occasion, when all the regular party candidates were total twits, for a similar Canadian party, the now sadly dissolved [Rhinoceros Party of Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_Party_of_Canada). Westminster style politics is fun!
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/18 "2010-05-07T04:20:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> They’re still about, and as Loony as ever. I rather liked their proposal to change the lions on the Coat of Arms to badgers.
>
> Also, apparently, if you stand as a Monster Raving Loony Party candidate in a seat and get too many votes, that means you’re not Loony enough and you get kicked out of the party.
>
> I wish they’d form an Australian branch.
Dang it. The things we miss out on with a two party system. ☹ I want to stand for the Monster Raving Loony Party. I’m really, really good at not getting votes, too.
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### Author:  [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/19 "2010-05-07T15:47:06Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> They could just say “Can members of the Royal Family Vote?” But that’s a bit too straightfoward. There’s a lot of members of the Royal Family, including fairly minor ones who are 281st in line for the Throne and things like that, so it’s an amusing but potentially valid question to ask in a slightly fun and tongue-in-cheek way. 😉
[Prince Hubertus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_of_succession_to_the_British_Throne)?
(I love you, Internet!)
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### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/20 "2010-05-07T16:32:17Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#):
>
> If you refer to the [Monster Raving Loony Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Raving_Looney_Party), they’re real and have actually had some electoral success. I have voted on occasion, when all the regular party candidates were total twits, for a similar Canadian party, the now sadly dissolved [Rhinoceros Party of Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_Party_of_Canada). Westminster style politics is fun!
Oh, I believed them about the party - I was asking if Brits really have no clue at all about how one casts a vote. Did your mother not take you when you were little? Do you not know other… voters? Is voting held in some sort of secret crypt with very little signage? Are there no ancient wizened poll workers?
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