UK voting
 

Another year, another request to vote from abroad. Does anyone else vote in UK elections whilst living in the US?

I am thinking of letting it lapse, as well as my UK passport. For my family I want to clear that I am US domicile (i'm a dual citizen). After my Mum passes, I may renounce British citizenship for the above reasoned domicile consideration.

Re: UK voting
 

I stopped voting as soon as we were resident in the USA. I didn't let anything "lapse", just stopped voting, it wasn't worth the effort to figure out how to unregister to vote.

Re: UK voting
 

I voted until I had been out of the UK too long to vote, at least in elections when my ballot arrived in time for me to return it.

Did the government get around to abolishing the time limit? I know it has been discussed for a number of years.

Re: UK voting
 

It used to be 15 years.

https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

Re: UK voting
 

I believe time limit was abolished, but still not law (dont quote me on that).

My yearly form to the district council arrived to re-register. I think I will let is lapse this time.

And yes, Pulaski, things rarely arrived on time anyway.

Re: UK voting
 

And the Brexit vote was 14½ years after I left the UK. :)

Re: UK voting
 

It certainly hadn't been passed as law as recently as March, when I moved back home.

Re: UK voting
 

Time limit still applies. Has been discussed but has not got any further.
Thanks to Brexit I can't vote for anything as an EU resident apart than for the local water board apparently!

Re: UK voting
 

For the hell of it I thought I would register. Left in 2000.

Yep, denied as per the 15 year time limit. If it ever changes I'll reapply.

Re: UK voting
 

Yes we still register to vote but we only moved to the US 6 years ago and were already retired and receiving our UK state pensions. As they, and our pensions from our UK jobs, are our only source of income we think it is in our best interests to have an input. We do everything by email and have found it works fine for us.

Re: UK voting
 

The law has been changed but secondary legislation is required to actually implement the change.

Re: UK voting
 

Dual national brother-in-law, says that if there is a vote for Scotland to leave the UK, he wii reestablish Scottish residence with the idea of having EU nationality back in due course.

Re: UK voting
 

I also emigrated in 2004 and was able to register in my old Ealing district to vote in the Brexit referendum. Not sure if the mail in thing got there on time.
The next election I tried for was beyond 15 years. I believe there was some option to do proxy vote , but not sure and I did not follow up.

Re: UK voting
 

I think this is the secondary legislation that was required to allow expats a "vote for life":

https://statutoryinstruments.parliam...eline/PuUE0ztK

It looks like it has all been approved, but the legislation was FAR too long and complicated for my pea-brain to check all the details. I did, however notice this:

So my understanding is that from 16th January 2024 the 15 year limit will be abolished (having been here for 14½ years that's pretty timely for me).

Three cheers to the late Harry Shindler OBE!!

Re: UK voting
 

Confirmed :regular_smile:
https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...859d14c6c9.png

Re: UK voting
 

I recently got word that I was (back) on the UK electoral register. Per the old legislation, I was removed about 8-ish years ago, and missed Brexit by about 6 months. This is the correspondence I received.



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...205e47fba4.png

Re: UK voting
 

Please note, you will be assigned to a constituency where the government feels your vote will be be to it's advantage and not to the one you were in before leaving. It all smacks of desperation from the government.

Re: UK voting
 

Any evidence / links to back this up?

Re: UK voting
 

would they not have to know how you intend to vote to decide where it will help them / where to dump it where it won’t count….

Re: UK voting
 

None will be forthcoming because it’s nonsense. You will vote in the constituency where you were last registered or resident, the same as it is now. The only difference is that the 15 year old time limit has been abolished.

Re: UK voting
 

Exactly. They ask you where you were last registered to vote in the UK and assign the same constituency.

Some folk just like to make noise, it seems.

Re: UK voting
 

As per the advice already given, it's a simple matter of identifying your last constituency, or the current equivalent if the boundary has changed, and requesting the registrar to add you to the electoral roll.

I managed to get my vote back after only a few days of waiting.

Andy

Re: UK voting
 

We do not allow more than one username. Therefore would you like the 2 accounts to be merged, if so which username do you prefer? Or should I arrange to have one of the accounts closed?

Re: UK voting
 

Thanks Jerseygirl,

Please merge the two accounts.
I'd prefer to use updatedusername as it's easier to remember.

Cheers,
Andy

Re: UK voting
 

Will do. It may take a few days. Welcome back.

Re: UK voting
 

User accounts have been merged.

Re: UK voting
 

A General Election has been called for 4 July 2024. Register to vote by 11:59pm on 18 June 2024.

https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

Re: UK voting
 

Just a point to note - registering to vote is different from the application to vote in the coming election. I had been registered to vote in the UK for quite some time (since the 15 year ban was lifted) and was wondering why I hadn't received anything through the mail for the general election. As it turns out, there is a separate application which is election-specific and requires uploading a digital signature to your former council for validation and approval. Only after that has been received will you get something mailed out to your US address.

And yeah, there is only another couple of days for everything to be approved. :confused_smile:

Re: UK voting
 

Did anyone get their voting forms ? I managed to do all the registration timely but no sign of the form :( I guess if it doesn't arrive today I'm not going to be able to get it back even if I spend $70 on priority mail

Re: UK voting
 

Yes.

Please refer to my post above yours. They don't send ballot forms out merely because we are registered to vote. Unfortunately though, the deadline has passed for the general election postal vote

I sent my vote in a few days ago, and there was no charge to mail it back.

Re: UK voting
 

I don't remember having to do that in 2019 - but maybe I am mis-remembering. Ah well, my old seat is so safe it doesn't really matter...

Re: UK voting
 

​​​​​​⠀‹My father received my postal/proxy vote on 6/19 (in the UK) and subsequently voted on my behalf.

Re: UK voting
 

Apparently there are some 13 councils who haven't got the postal ballots out fully in time, excuses were that they just didn't have enough ballot papers printed, this for a summer election during school holidays, did they not thonk there might have been a lot needed?

Re: UK voting
 

They used to. Every year prior to this we just re-registered.

Earlier this year we had to resubmit a scan of our signature (first time ever), then re-register, complete with another scan of our signature, and then apply separately for a postal vote.

Keeps somebody in a job I suppose.

Re: UK voting
 

I think what Scott meant is they don't send out postal ballot forms, yes they send you what used to be an actual card, but is still called a poll card despite it being on an A4 paper because of all the listing of what is a valid ID.

Re: UK voting
 

I gave up my postal voting registration. The only postal vote I ever received on time was for Brexit... and that didnt end the way I wanted..

Re: UK voting
 

I got mine last week on Monday but I was on vacation all that week, so I probably would have had time to do it if I could have posted it back out that same day. Since it was free postage I did mail it out this Monday but I doubt it'll get back in time for Thursday. I doubt it'll matter too much, the seat I'm voting in only has a small Conservative majority so I'm certain it'll be solid Labour this time around.