gruffbrown

But on the bright side, if you joined up, they'd give you citizenship, didn't they give it to a guy posthumously recently?

kingfisher241049

Can American expats in the UK vote in UK elections? If not then I really don't see why expats here should vote in American elections. I am not very political anyway, so probably would'nt vote if I could. I have no idea about American politics, or American politicians, except for the crowd in the White House right now. Carol is very much against foreigners voting in US elections, until they take out American Citizenship and can show from that they are committed to this country. If green card holders will not become citizens when they have the option, they are not showing any committment to this country, and therefore should'nt vote.

Bob

Not anymore, people from common wealth countries use to be able to vote in the UK, even though it wasn't always reciprocated, but they changed that a few years back.

Manc

what does this mean? commitment to a country?

what does Carol want in the form of commitment?

kingfisher241049

Carol believes voters should be citizens of this country. If a person wants to vote, they should become a citizen. Green Card holders are foreigners who can return to there own country anytime they wish, they have no real stake uin the future of this country, even though they pay taxes, and have families here. If green card holders want to vote, they should apply for citizenship first, even if that means they have to join the US Military to do it.

paddingtongreen

I just took a look, Commonwealth citizens can vote. EU citizens can register, but I don't know if they can vote in UK Parliamentary elections or not, so I emailed them with that question.

Manc

surely spending $350 and standing there and taking an oath doesn't make a person comitted to a country.

personally, I'll take the oath when they're something in it for me........when it makes sense for me, not for the USA.

fatbrit

From a purely personal point of view, the above statement stuck out like a sore thumb to me. In many cases, the GC holder is the one who can't travel freely back to their own country since they risk loosing their painstakingly acquired status, whereas the naturalized USC who holds dual citizenship can freely move away with a 100% guarantee of return if required. Weird, I know, but that's the way I felt about it.

Manc

That's what I think.

I'll become a US Citizen so I can live in Manchester for a bit.........hardly a comittment is it?

fatbrit

Precisely.

After going through the USCIS crap, though, pragmatism wins the day.

paddingtongreen

I received the following answer to my question:

Michael,

All EU citizens resident in the UK can register to vote. UK, Irish, Maltese and Cypriot citizens can then vote in all elections. Citizens of other EU countries may only vote in local elections (including those to the Devolved institutions) and in European elections (if they do not vote in there home-Country's European elections).

Regards,
Christopher Morgan
Public Information Officer
The Electoral Commission
Trevelyan House
Great Peter Street
London SW1P 2HW
Tel: 020 7271 0728
Fax: 020 7271 0505
www.electoralcommission.org.uk
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

AdobePinon

I'm very impressed that you got a reply.

So, err.... what's up with the Cypriots and the Maltese?

JAJ

In the United Kingdom, citizens of Commonwealth nations and the Republic of Ireland have full voting rights. But whether they should have is another question. Sooner or later, a UK govenment will likely legislate to restrict the vote to British citizens only.

Citizens of EU member states have the right to vote in local elections.

CPW

And elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly (which are local-ish, perhaps).

CPW

Cyprus and Malta are Commonwealth countries, so Cypriot or Maltese citizens who are living in the UK, even if on the basis of being the citizen of an EU country, have full voting rights.