EX-Pat Voter registration - 

It was good to hear on the BBC Radio 4 news last night that the Deputy Prime Minister is now aware that there are a couple of million of British citizens living in other EU Member States. We also hear from the All-Party Inquiry into voting reforms that they hope to publish their report in early January. It is good news, as they are setting themselves an ambitious objective, and putting money into on-line advertising, in various countries including France.

 

It was good to hear on the BBC Radio 4 news last night that the Deputy Prime Minister is now aware that there are a couple of million of British citizens living in other EU Member States. I further hear from the All-Party Inquiry that they hope to publish their report in early January. Meanwhile, the attached briefing paper has been published by the Electoral Commission. Pages 1, 2 and 4 are particularly relevant to us. It is good news, as they are setting themselves an ambitious objective, and putting money into on-line advertising, in various countries including France,  to identify British expats unaffected by the 15-year rule, and send an appropriate, personalized version of this "how to register" message to them. Any help you can provide in terms of identifying would-be registrants and sending out the information would be much appreciated!

 

To support our campaigning efforts to have the 15-year rule lifted, we must get registration levels up very significantly! 

 

To support our campaigning efforts to have the 15-year rule lifted, we must get registration levels up very significantly! Below I suggest a message which can be sent out to as-yet unregistered voters, not affected by the 15-year rule, to get them to register (before 7th May 2014 ) and vote in the European Parliament elections in the UK rather than in their country of residence. I will ask the BCC webmaster to put it on the britishinfrance and votes-for-expat-brits site.

 

As and overseas voter registration is only valid for one year, we have to use the "European Parliament elections" argument, otherwise the registration would not be "useable", and would have to be renewed in a year's time.

 

The challenge now is to identify British expats unaffected by the 15-year rule, and send an appropriate, personalized version of this "how to register" message to them. Any help you can provide in terms of identifying would-be registrants and sending out the information would be much appreciated!

 

how to register

 

This is what you should do. You will need the postcode of your last address in the UK, and your current passport number and its place and date of issue.

Go to https://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/british_citizens_living_abroad/register_to_vote.aspx and enter the postcode of your last address in the UK at which you were previously registered to vote. Click on GO in the green bar.

 

The next screen enables you to download the form, and tells you where to send it once you have printed it out, and completed and signed it.

 

If this is the first time that you have registered as an overseas (as opposed to UK-based) voter, you will need another British citizen to countersign the form as witness. The countersignatory must also provide his/her passport number and place and date of issue.

 

The form also enables you to register for a postal vote, or a proxy vote.

I hope this has been useful to you, and that you will take the important step of registering as soon as possible!