Expats told to ‘find a friend’ because there may not be time to vote by post
Britons overseas warned it would be ‘prudent’ to organise a proxy to carry out ballot on their behalf
HUNDREDS of thousands of British expatriates have been urged to ask friends or relatives to help them cast their ballots in the general election as there will be little time for them to vote by post before polling day.
Returning officers and the electoral regulator said Britons overseas should look at setting up a proxy vote to be sure of being able to vote on Dec 12 as there may not be enough time between the publication of candidates’ names and the deadline to vote by post.
Overseas citizens are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections for up to 15 years in the constituency where they were registered before leaving the UK.
In a note to returning officers, the Association of Electoral Administrators said it would be “prudent” for expats to ask a friend or family member to cast their vote for them. It said: “As postal vote packs cannot be printed until candidate nominations close in the middle of November, it may be prudent for UK voters living overseas to consider setting up a proxy vote to have someone they trust vote on their behalf.”
To apply for a proxy vote, expats must complete a form and give a reason why they cannot get to their polling station in person. This may be because they live overseas, are going on holiday or have a physical condition that means they cannot get to the polling station on polling day.
Anyone can be appointed a proxy voter provided they are over 18, registered to vote and can get to the expat’s polling station on Dec 12. The proxy receives a special polling card telling them where and when to cast their vote.
A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: “We suggest that anyone who is concerned that they may not be able to receive and return their postal vote in time, should consider appointing someone they trust to be a proxy voter on their behalf.”
An estimated three million Britons live overseas, of whom 250,000 are registered to vote in the UK. Many of them are retired and so are thought to be more likely to vote Conservative. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-brown MP, the chairman of Conservatives Abroad, said he would be urging Conservative headquarters to target overseas voters ahead of Dec 12.
He said the short election period meant that voting “will be a problem for overseas voters”, adding: “This is something that I will discuss within the party to see if we can get something sent to all those who we think are going to vote Conservative, to urge them to get a proxy.”
The Tories announced plans in 2016 to give expatriates a “vote for life” in UK elections. David Cameron, the former prime minister, first pledged to abolish the 15-year rule in September 2014, and it formed part of the party’s manifesto the following year.
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 allowed expats to vote in elections for the first 15 years after they left the UK. Prior to 1985, expats were not permitted to register to vote in UK national elections.
The deadline to register for a postal ballot in the general election is Nov 26. Postal ballots will be counted as long as they are submitted by 10pm on election night, Dec 12.
Last week The Daily Telegraph disclosed that postal workers were plotting to disrupt the election by with a strike in the weeks ahead of the vote.
Tory MPS accused the Communication Workers Union of holding “British democracy to ransom” by taking the action in the weeks before polling day.