United Kingdom General Elections

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United Kingdom General Elections

Registration to Vote:

On 16 February 2001 "The Representation of the People Act 2000" came into effect. It affects registration procedures for overseas electors.

There are three major changes in the new Act: 

1. The new legislation allows for postal voting.
2. The new legislation allows applications to be countersigned by any British Citizen, (for example, a Consular Officer if they are satisfied that the applicant is a British Citizen resident overseas.)
3. The new legislation establishes rolling electoral registers. From 16 February 2001, any British Citizen resident overseas can apply for registration at any time during the year. 

In the previous legislation, a British Citizen wishing to apply for registration as an overseas elector had to have been registered on an electoral register at an address in the UK within the 20 years prior to their application. This qualifying period has been reduced to 15 years. 

How to register: 

An "Application to Register as an Overseas Elector" form must be completed. Contact your nearest British Consulate General to obtain the form and an explanatory leaflet. (There will be a small charge.) 

The completed application must be returned to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for the area in which you were last registered as an elector. 

For any further information please contact the ERO in the local government office in the constituency where you last resided in the United Kingdom, or your nearest British Consulate General. 

• See British Consulate contacts in the AngloFILE

Registered Electors:

Registered electors can apply to vote by post or by proxy. 

Postal Voting:

The law now allows anyone included in a register of electors to apply for a postal vote without the need to give any reason or to have the application form countersigned.

When and how to apply:

All new applications for postal and proxy voting must be received by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) at least six working days (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays) before the day of the election. The ERO should be notified of any changes to existing "absent voting" arrangements at least 11 working days before the election.

If you apply to vote by post, a ballot paper and "declaration of identity" form will be sent to your home about one week before the election. If you require the postal vote to be sent to an overseas address, you should be confident that the postal services can deliver it to you and return it to the relevant election office in the UK within five working days. If you are not sure that this can be achieved, you would be well advised to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.

You will receive:

• A "declaration of identity" form which should be signed by you and witnessed by someone else.
• A Ballot-paper and ballot-paper envelope.
• Return both the form and the sealed ballot-paper in the large envelope for the return of documents, which will also be provided. (This envelope will not be prepaid if you have asked for the postal vote to be sent to an address outside the UK.)
• Completed applications should be returned to the address shown on the forms.

All postal votes must be returned to the Returning Officer before the end of voting on the day of the election. If you forget to post it in time, remember that you can get someone to hand it in to the Returning Officer or to a polling station in the electoral area on Election Day.

Voting by Proxy:

If you cannot vote in person at your polling station you may apply to appoint a 'proxy' who will vote on your behalf.

If you wish to vote by proxy you must find someone who is willing to vote for you. He or she will then be able to vote at your polling station or by post. If you wish your proxy to vote for you by post, please ask for a copy of the relevant application form.

A proxy must be at least 18-years-old and not disqualified to vote in his or her own right. For a General Election the proxy must be a British, Commonwealth or Irish citizen. No person may act as a proxy for more than two people at the same election, unless those two people are closely related.

If you appoint a proxy and then have a change of plans, you may still vote in person, providing that you (or your proxy) have not been sent a postal ballot paper.

A separate application form should be completed for each member of your household who wishes to arrange a postal or proxy vote.

For further information and a downloadable postal vote application form, go to the Home Office, Postal Votes Web site

Party Web sites:

• Labour Party 
• Conservative Party 
• Liberal Democrats 
• Scottish National Party
• Green Party
• UK Independence Party 
• Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales  
• Monster Raving Loony Party