British citizens living abroad are now eligible to register to vote in UK general elections: British HC
ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (SABAH): British citizens living abroad are now eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. A new law has removed the previous 15-year time limit.
Supporting the awareness raising campaign of the UK’s Electoral Commission, the British High Commission Islamabad is calling on British residents living in Pakistan to check if they are eligible. The Commission is the independent and impartial organisation that oversees elections in the UK.
Those who have previously lived in or been registered to vote in the UK now have the right to vote in UK parliament elections. They can register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote and will need to confirm their personal information every three years. Anyone on a UK electoral register is also considered a permissible donor to UK political parties and campaigners.
The British High Commission Spokesperson in a statement said that “A change in UK law means that more British citizens living abroad are now eligible to vote in UK Parliament elections. It’s important that eligible people are made aware of the changes so that they can register to vote and cast a ballot when the time comes”. “If you used to live in the UK or know anyone who did, let them know they may be able to have their say at the next UK general election. It only takes five minutes to register, and it can be done online at gov.uk/registertovote. It’s also now possible to apply online to vote by post or proxy.”
The British HC spokesperson said that applicants will need to provide details of the address and time they were last registered or resident. Local authorities must be able to verify an applicant’s identity and past connection to the area.
He said that more information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website. Voters living overseas can find contact details for the relevant local council by entering the postcode of the last place they lived in the UK, using the Commission’s postcode lookup tool. Resources for raising awareness are available on the Commission website.
It is worth mentioning here that UK Parliament elections covers UK parliamentary general elections, UK parliamentary by-elections and recall petitions. Eligibility for other types of election has not changed.
Just over 230,000 people were registered as overseas voters at the 2019 general election. Many voters living abroad choose to apply for absent votes. Applications to vote by post or proxy in Great Britain can now also be done online. The change is part of the UK Government’s Election Act, passed in 2022. The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK.