Overseas Brits encouraged to vote in UK election

(CNS): The UK’s Electoral Commission has launched a campaign to encourage all British citizens who have been registered to vote there in the last fifteen years to get back on the electoral roll despite living overseas. The elections watchdog is hosting an Overseas Voter Registration Day on Thursday 5 February in a bid to boost the numbers for the UK Parliamentary General Election, due to take place on Thursday 7 May.

This is the first UK General Election where people can register to vote online and the commission hopes that the online process will encourage more of the 5.5 million UK nationals living overseas to register to take part in the elections.

“A lot of people aren’t aware that it’s possible to register as an overseas voter for the General Election,” Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said. “We need to challenge the misconception that once you’ve moved overseas you can’t take part. Many people can and now it’s easier than ever to take the first step by registering online.”

He said the commission was urging UK nationals who are now living abroad “to take five minutes on Overseas Registration Day” and visit the website so they will be able to have their say on election day.

“Overseas Voter Registration Day is also the perfect opportunity for everyone to encourage friends, family or colleagues to check if they can vote and ask them to register online from wherever they are in the world,” he added.

The Cabinet Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office are supporting the Electoral Commission’s campaign to raise awareness of voter registration among British residents overseas in the run up to the general election.

To register as an overseas voter, UK residents overseas must have previously been registered in a UK constituency within the last fifteen years and then visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.