In a totally different role for social networking website Faecbook it has to help out and get unregistered voters to register before expiring 20 April deadline in Britain. In collaboration with Electoral commission in England, Facebook users who visit the site over the weekend would be asked whether they have registered to vote. In case, if a person goes to “No” area on the website then he would be asked through a link to reach Electoral Commission where he can fill up details online. And after filling out all details he would have to get print out of entire details and then is needed to post that information to their local council’s electoral registration office.

The address for this is automatically created on the page once someone has entered their own location details. The Electoral Commission says applications have to be sent by post, and not simply via e-mail, because of a legal requirement to prevent electoral fraud. According to The Electoral Commission estimates nearly 3.5 million people who were eligible to vote in England and Wales in 2001 were not registered.

According to Electoral Commission spokesman Clinton Proud Facebook exercise was part of the organization’s remit to expand access to the democratic process. “If you’re not registered, you can’t vote - it’s very simple. By downloading and printing a form through Facebook, users can now make sure that they are able to have their say on Election Day,” he further added, “Many people assume they are automatically on the electoral register if they pay council tax or if they have voted before. This is not the case. And if you have moved house, even within the same borough, you need to re-register with your new address.”

However, Richard Allan, director of policy at Facebook, has different view upon it as he says, “One of the strengths we have is to try and capture that group, particularly the 18-24 year-old voters, who have often not turned out to vote, and use the fact that many of the things on Facebook are familiar to them to get them engaged.”