BRITS ABROAD - REGISTER TO VOTE NOW!
All British citizens who have lived in the UK at some time, or who were registered to vote there before they left, can now register to vote from overseas in UK elections. Your vote from overseas will be counted in the current constituency of your last registered address or residence in the UK.
To check where that will be by FILLING OUT THE FORM HERE on our special website www.britsabroad.vote
To qualify to vote you will need to prove that
You are a British citizen
You either lived in the UK (however long ago that was) or were registered to vote there
How the registration system works
If the registration office can find what they need to satisfy them of your eligibility in official records, you won't need to provide further information. If you were not previously registered or you left the UK a very long time ago, you may need to provide additional details. For example, there are special arrangements for people who left the UK when they were too young to receive a National Insurance number.
Choosing how to vote (& avoiding postal ballot delays!)
Official reports from the last general election and feedback from our surveys show how many Brits abroad are understandably worried about delays in receiving and returning their ballots by post in time to be counted at the election - even here in Europe!
Not everyone realises that they can appoint a proxy to vote for them who lives outside the constituency where they have a vote. That’s because the proxy vote can be be received and returned by post. We recommend choosing someone based in the UK to cut down any postal delays.
Your proxy must be an eligible voter in the that same election themselves, and there are limits to how many people they can vote on behalf of.
“I know this works, reports Jenny Shorten, Chair of Lib Dems in France and an overseas elector in Wiltshire. “ My proxy lives in the next door constituency to where I have a vote, and he receives and returns my ballot by post. I’m sure it’s is going to be easier for many people to find someone they trust to help with this once they understand how wide a choice they have!”.
”Once you have registered to vote, you appoint someone to act as your proxy and it’s up to them to choose whether to vote post or in person on you behalf, depending on how close by they live.”
You can change from postal to proxy voting at any time once you have registered using either the online portal here or by contacting your local electoral registration office who will have confirmed your voter registration when you signed up.
To look up the contact details of your local registration office, enter your last UK postcode here.