Find out why voting is so vital for your finances.
It's official, the next General Election will take place on Thursday, 6th May, 2010. Here's why it's so important for your finances that you register to vote as soon as possible:
1. Have your say
First and foremost, to be eligible to vote in the next General Election you need to make sure you're registered to vote by 20th April, 2010.
If you're not registered by the 20th April you won't get the chance to have a say in who runs the country.
The political party voted into power will have a huge impact on your financial wellbeing for the next few years - affecting everything from the amount of tax you pay, to how much you shell out of fuel - as well as influencing the performance of the UK's economy as a whole.
For this reason it's vital that you register to vote by the 20th April and then actually vote for the party you think are most likely to bring in the changes that will benefit you (both financially and otherwise) on the 6th May.
2. Boost your credit rating
Each time you make an application for credit a potential lender will check your credit report with at least one of the UK's 3 major credit reference agencies; Experian, Equifax and CallCredit. Your credit report contains a wealth of information about your financial history and forms an important role in a lender's decision as to whether to lend to you or not.
Lenders like evidence of stability as it helps to create the impression that you're a reliable and trustworthy individual and therefore likely to pay back any money you borrow.
Registering to vote helps to show lenders that you are who you say you are. They'll compare the details on the electoral role with those you include on your application form and use it to verify your identity.
If you're not registered to vote, lenders will have a much harder job checking that you even exist, let alone that the other information you have on your application form is correct. It's because of this that many otherwise credit-worthy people find their applications getting declined.
For this reason, checking that you are registered to vote at your current address is vital for your finances.
3. Get paid to be a polling clerk
If you're registered to vote already and free all day on the 6th May you could earn some pocket money by acting as a polling clerk. Providing you're not a member of any political party taking part in the election you could earn anything up to £250 for your time.
You'll typically have to be at the polling station from 7am to 10pm and will be asked to make sure that voters are able to cast their vote free from interruption and influence.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in doing you'd need to contact your local Electoral Registration Office (you can find their details on AboutMyVote.co.uk), ask if they're recruiting for polling clerks, find out exactly what will be expected of you and put your name forward if you're still interested.
How do I register to vote?
To register to vote and make sure your details are on the Electoral Roll you'll need to complete the Electoral Registration form, print it out, sign it and post it to your local Electoral Registration Office (you can find their address on aboutmyvote.co.uk) as son as possible.
Remember, to vote in the next General Election you will need to register by 20th April, 2010.
If you're not sure whether your details are already registered, or you need to change your address you'll need to contact your local Electoral Registration Office (again, you can find their address on aboutmyvote.co.uk).
