Finknottle

You've all been lucky then! Neither the referendum papers or those for all the subsequent elections turned up in time! Now, the returning officer for our constituency has always been most helpful (but keeps urging us to vote by proxy, which we can't) and emails us as soon as papers are posted.

bobd22

It may be that you have been unlucky. Although I have only had a few problems re mail in Spain every now and again something seems to get stuck every now and again when it hits Spain.. of course it may be in your case it was simply sent late. I can only refer to my own dealings with my voting authority . For the Brexit referendum I wasn't resident in Spain when that vote was done so voted normally in UK for that one.

Cape Blue

I have bank accounts, investments & pensions in the USA and bank accounts and property in Spain - doesn't give me voting rights in either as I live in the UK.

No one living in a foreign country should get voting rights in another country where they will not be to experience the outcome of their votes.

bobd22

Are you a USA citizen? From what I have read online USA expats can vote in USA Federal elections as voting is based on citizenship and not residency. Also USA doesn't impose a time limit on how long a Citizen living overseas can vote they just have to register.

Mark604

So because I may not live in the UK I will not experience the outcome of how a Government, no matter who they are or their policies, will affect my property, family, bank, investments, money and pensions.
Ok, got it.
That puts my mind at rest.

Red Eric

Take it up with the Tory Party.

Finknottle

May be - but it's odd that other post from the UK (bank, etc) gets here in a couple of days but ballot papers, and correspondence from the DWP, etc takes so much longer - in fact a DWP staffer told me to allow 28 days for post.

snikpoh

I recently phoned DWP about my upcoming pension. I had the papers from then and from health team within a few days - excellent service.

Lynn R

Government departments use some daft system whereby mail all goes by one EU country (used to be Malta, don't know if that has changed) before being sent on to its destination. It supposedly saves money but yes, I too have been told by both HMRC and DWP that mail could take weeks to reach me.

Neither my husband nor I have had problems with ballot papers reaching us in time to be returned in the past, though, before we reached the 15.year cut off point. I haven't decided yet whether I will re-register as an overseas voter. I have been a Labour voter but am not at all inspired by Keir Starmer who does not seem willing to right any of the wrongs perpetrated during 14 years of Tory Government.

Finknottle

Much goes via Frankfurt.

bobd22

Some government mail from the UK that I get mainly to do with government pensions comes via Jersey?

DLC

Er, we're all walking round with a residency card for third country citizens which is a direct result of UK government policy and many of us couldn't vote to change that? As outcomes go, it's not the greatest.

Government policy affects citizenship so citizens abroad should be able to vote.

bobd22

Yes I agree and the key point is we are still British citizens who for whatever reason can be adversly affected by uk government policy possibly as much as or in some cases more than citizens living in the UK. Thats why I asked an earlier question if the person was in fact a USA citizen, as the point is not that we pay tax , own property etc in the UK we are also still British citizens. It is a different matter say if someone has renounced British citizenship or someone simply has an hoiday home in a foreign country and maybe has investments there. I accept that not all will hold the same view on this. However I personally see it as a good change in policy I say that as someone who still has 10 years to run until I would have lost my right to vote in the UK . If someone doesnt like the change they simply dont need to register to vote. Or is it people who are not resident in Spain but have links here maybe hoiday home owners that dont like us spanish resident expats retaining the vote?

bobd22

Today I received 2 letters from HMRC re recent communication I have had with them . They took 14 days from being posted in the UK to get to me. Both had come via the Netherlands.

BristolUK

Vote Jason Coghlan as MP for the Costa del Sol




(new identity pending)