British Expats – Ensure You Get Your Vote In The Election!

British nationals can register to vote provided they did not leave the UK over 15 years ago enabling them to in UK Parliamentary General Elections, UK-wide referendums and European Parliamentary elections (as long as the UK remains in the EU).

The Government has committed to end the 15-year limit and introduce ‘votes for life’, but currently the 15 year limit applies.

According to the Financial Times there were never more than 35,000 overseas voters, but this increased to 285,000 in the 2017 election.

You can register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. This means that it is easier than before to register from wherever you are. However, if you want to vote in Northern Ireland, you need to register by post.

You will need to provide your National Insurance number, date of birth and details of  your passport if you have one. If you don’t have a National Insurance number you can still register, but you may have to supply more information to show who you are.

You will have to supply the address where you were last registered to vote in the UK and it is that constituency that you will be registered to vote.

If you don’t want to register online, you can still download paper forms. But remember to return your completed form as far in advance of the deadline as possible.

Remember that you have to sign an annual declaration once you are registered to renew your registration every year so even if you have previously registered

Once you have registered to vote you can choose how you wish to vote. You can vote by post, by proxy (voting by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf) or even in person at your polling station.

• To apply for a postal vote print and complete this form and send it to your electoral registration office.
• To apply for a proxy vote download and send in this form to your local electoral office by either email or post.

Postal votes rely on the mailing system to arrive on time and be counted.  The authorities have very limited tie to get the postal ballot packs to voters overseas and then they have to be returned in time.  There were problems in 2017 and with the proximity of Christmas this year there could be even more issues.

A proxy vote may well be the most reliable option assuming you have someone you trust to vote on your behalf.  If you choose to appoint a proxy you can still vote in person if you happen to be in the country at the time.