Stamps played a role in May's UK general election

By Joe O'Donnell

1. Expat postage problems

Postage stamps, or lack thereof, might have affected the outcome of the UK general election in May, according to a July 15 report from The Telegraph, as registered-to-vote expats were not necesssarily provided with sufficient postage on their return envelopes to get their ballot to their constituency. 

"In a report published today, the Electoral Commission said that within the UK, returning officers (ROs) are required to include sufficient pre-paid postage on return envelopes for voters to send their completed postal ballot papers back," The Telegraph reports. "They are not, however, required or funded to provide the additional postage necessary to enable packs to be returned to the UK from other countries."

More than 400 overseas voters complained to the Electoral Commission about not being able to cast their ballot in time.

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2. Postage due stamps

"United States postage due stamps are not valid for postage, but shown nearby are two attempts to use them as such. Both were unsuccessful."

3. Buying in bulk

"Every once in a while it is fun to buy a big stamp mixture or even an entire collection. And, having done so, you may find that the most fun is in finding mysterious stamps you may have never seen before, and then spending time with a catalog to unravel the mysteries."

4. Spell it out

"Five recent stamps from Slovenia not only picture birds, they also spell out the word 'Posta' when placed horizontally in order of denomination."