More Brits overseas can now vote

Supporting the awareness raising campaign of the Electoral Commission, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are calling on residents to spread the word and tell friends and family living abroad to check if they are eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, following A new law, passed in 2022, which has removed the previous 15-year time limit.

Those that have previously lived in or been registered to vote in the UK now have the right to vote in UK parliament elections. They can register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote and will need to confirm their personal information every three years. Anyone on a UK electoral register is also considered a permissible donor to UK political parties and campaigners.
 
The government estimates that the abolishment of the 15-year rule could mean three million more British citizens could be eligible to vote.
 
Applicants will need to provide details of the address and time they were last registered or resident, councils must be able to verify an applicant’s identity and past connection to the area.

More information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with a post code lookup tool that helps voters living overseas find the contact details for the correct local authority, using the postcode of the last place they lived in the UK. Many voters living abroad can choose to vote by post or vote by proxy. Applications for absent votes can now also be done online.