Published: Sunday, 24th January, 2010 9:00am

Illegal voters face rule change

by Adam Hewitt

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FOREIGNERS who have previously voted in British general elections will not be able to this year.

Reading's 5,800 EU citizens on the electoral register are allowed to vote in local and EU elections in Britain, but not Parliamentary ones.

In the past, they could choose, but were not obliged, to list their nationality on the electoral registration form, meaning many got to vote. But a 2007 law change means they now have to tell electoral staff where they are from when registering.

Reading Borough Council returning officer John Painter said: "Some will have voted in Parliamentary elections before because they've not been asked their nationality. This year they will not be able to vote."

A report he has written anticipates "confusion and irritation" so he is writing to all of these voters to give them the facts.

At Wednesday's corporate, community and external affairs scrutiny panel meeting, Tory Cllr Richard Willis asked whether foreigners had been illegally voting in British elections.

Mr Painter said the problem was that it was impossible to know under the old system, but said: "Some who put their nationality as Italian, for example, will actually be British nationals, but have confused this with their country of origin. Part of the purpose of writing to them is to encourage people to correct us."

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