Reasons for no show on electoral lists

[darthdc]

My grandfather Thomas Cook is proving to be a real problem. He was born in 1898 (his marriage and death certificates give ages that certainly fit) but yet he doesn't appear on the electoral lists until 1925. He was married in 1919 to Ellen Hunt who was also 21 at the time. She doesn't appear until 1928 on the electoral lists (but this is expected).

Marriage certificate details:

Thomas Cook age 21, 9ct 9 Hospital St, B'ham, father Thomas Cook
Ellen Hunt age 21, 9H Hospital St, B'ham, father Charles Hunt

Neither of their families are living at those addresses in the 1919 electoral lists. The addresses don't appear either.

I simply cannot get it - he should appear in the lists as from 1919, but doesn't.

[RichardK]

Electoral registration has never been automatic - the onus was (still is) on the householder to fill in the details of eligible people.  Assuming he was eligble to vote, there could be any number of reasons why he neglected to return his form (of if he was living in a household where someone else was head, they could have omitted him for a variety of reasons).

Also, as the address doesn't appear in the 1919 electoral lists, does this indicate the address was recently demolished or renamed?  If it was demolished, the people previously registered to vote there may be taken off the list, as the onus is on them to register at their new address.  You couldn't be on the electoral role without an address as that determines which wards / constituencies you are voting for.

[Jebber]

Not all men were entitled to vote at that time, you may find this is of interest.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/exhibits/1920s/downloads/TPPart3.pdf

Jebber