# The BBC Presents: A Voting Don'ts FAQ **URL:** \ **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:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/21 "2010-05-07T17:00:53Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > 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? Once upon a time it was taught in schools (yes, I had politics/civics lessons in lower sixth), but I don’t think it is now, and of course not everyone has to stay in school till 18, so they miss out. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/22 "2010-05-07T21:15:17Z")
This is really cool. We should have something like this in the US. “Can I play my favourite music to inspire me?” “How do I mark my ballot?” Not that any Americans who needed such questions answered for them would actually pay any attention to the answers, of course… “I’ve been in the pub and feel drunk. Can I vote?” Only in Britain would you address this. So polite. I knew the Queen couldn’t vote, but I didn’t know Prince Charles and his sons can’t vote, either. On bringing your children with you: “Of course. Guidance to polling station staff asks them to be welcoming to under 18s so as not to put off the voters of tomorrow.” Awww! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/23 "2010-05-07T21:39:08Z")
On election day in the US the bars and liquor stores are closed, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/24 "2010-05-07T22:02:58Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > On election day in the US the bars and liquor stores are closed, actually. My God! What do you drink if one of the parties wins!? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/25 "2010-05-07T22:12:43Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > On election day in the US the bars and liquor stores are closed, actually. That’s not a Federal requirement; it varies from state to state. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/26 "2010-05-07T22:22:09Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > That’s not a Federal requirement; it varies from state to state. Seriously? I always thought that was all over! Anyway, it’s the case in South Carolina. The bars open up after the polls close, so you’re covered. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/27 "2010-05-08T00:19:30Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > 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? Yes, the entire nation is completely ignorant. We’re lucky to have you here to educate us! Thank you! Or, perhaps - the BBC thought that maybe the page _might_ be useful for some first time voters? Just perhaps? And what harm if it isn’t? Oh right - I forgot! Nobody should ever put up a web page if there is some other way of obtaining the same information! Oh.. wait.. I think that probably invalidates most of this here website. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/28 "2010-05-08T02:59:48Z")
I wish American politicians would wear “rosettes”, perhaps instead of the little American flag on their lapels. I’ve never heard of them until this FAQ. They look like they are straight out of the **The Prisoner**. Do lots of politicians in the UK wear them? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/29 "2010-05-08T03:41:51Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Do lots of politicians in the UK wear them? Only at election time, which thank fuck only lasts about four weeks here. The rest of the time they can be differentiated from normal folk by the colour of their forehead tattoo. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/30 "2010-05-08T05:14:03Z")
> [@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. 😉 Here’s the [Order of Succession](http://wapedia.mobi/en/Line_of_succession_to_the_British_throne?t=2.2.). I can see why the question might come up! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/31 "2010-05-08T14:41:59Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > 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? I’m in Canada, but I’ve participated in every election campaign since 2000, and over that time, as far as voting questions go, I’ve gotten some _doozies_. Also, there are a few parts that are a bit complicated, such as the different times we can vote at, proof of address, etc. So I’m not surprised at the questions being asked (although what is a ‘rosette’? We don’t have that custom here). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/32 "2010-05-08T14:48:23Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > I knew the Queen couldn’t vote, but I didn’t know Prince Charles and his sons can’t vote, either. It was my understanding that under EU law, the Queen now technically has the right to vote, as does any UK citizen, but she chooses not to do so out of respect for tradition and her non-partisan role. Or maybe that was just EU elections. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/33 "2010-05-08T20:52:06Z")
A ‘rosette’ is a circular folded silk thing with tails on it, like dogs and horses win at shows. The candidate will often wear one while campaigning; the colour shows which party he belongs to. Blue is Conservative, Red is socialist [not solely Labour Party], Orange is Liberal (in more recent years they have used a yellowy-orange), green is the Green party. There are others. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/34 "2010-05-08T21:09:41Z")
It’s nice that on election day you don’t have to pay for day care and can leave the kids with the pollwatchers. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502/35 "2010-05-08T21:13:48Z")
Remember that some (many?) recent immigrants may never have voted before. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-presents-a-voting-donts-faq/538502.md?page=1)