Voting FAQs - updated
Many of you have given us positive feedback on the FAQs that we put up at the end of 2023 and which we are regularly updating.
We went back to the Electoral Commission with some of the key issues that were coming up and, where appropriate, have added text or new FAQs covering the advice that we got back from them. The key points are:
- If you were previously registered, that is where you have to apply to register.
- It's best to apply for your proxy once you know you are or will be registered.
- If you've changed your name, use your current name but let the electoral registration officer know what your previous name was.
- There is no specific period of time that you have to show that you lived in the UK - you need to send proof that you are a British citizen and lived in the UK.
- Your proxy does not have to live in the same constituency as you as your proxy can get a postal proxy vote.
- Some constituencies are taking longer than others to update their information on overseas electors but bear with them.
- If you don't get a confirmation that your application has been received by your electoral registration office, or you do but then don't hear anything further for several weeks after that, do follow up with them and check.
Below, we go through these points in more detail:
New info in our FAQs
Q4 (UPDATED). I left the UK in 1995 and I lived at several addresses - Barnsley, Birmingham and Blackpool - before I emigrated. Can I register at any one of them?
A. You must register in the last place you were registered to vote, even if this was not the last place that you lived. If you were never registered, you should register in your last place of residence before you emigrated. You will need to provide evidence to support this in your application and the Electoral Commission provides guidance to EROs on the types of evidence that they can accept. Constituency shopping won’t be allowed.
Q7 (UPDATED). How do I register to vote?
A. You will need to register to vote and make a declaration as an overseas elector at gov.uk. If you are registering in England, Wales or Scotland this can be done online as currently, or by post or it may be possible by telephone. It will also be possible to apply for an absent vote – postal or proxy – online via separate application. The advice we have been given is to do this once you have been told by your ERO that you are or will be registered.
You will also be able to upload supporting documents.
If you live in Northern Ireland you need to download, print and complete a registration form. We will update these FAQs once we know if a telephone application may be possible
You will need to prove your identity and provide evidence of your last place of residence or where you were last registered to vote in the UK.
Q12 (UPDATED). I was last registered or resident under a different name, will this be a problem?
A. It shouldn’t be. You should apply under your current name. When you make the declaration, tell the ERO that you have changed your name and what your previous name(s) was, and provide the reason along with a copy of your UK passport (current or expired). The ERO will let you know if they need any further evidence from you to link you to your previous registration or address.
Q17 (NEW). How long do I have to have lived in the UK in order to be able to vote now if I was never registered to vote when I lived there?
A. There is no specific period of time. You will need to show that you are a British citizen, and have lived in the UK, but that you were never registered to vote: in this case, you can apply to register at the address where you last lived in the UK. The ERO will probably ask for evidence that you actually lived in the UK at that address, and, if you are not able to provide that, you may be asked to provide an attestation of this.
Other questions that we raised with the Electoral Commission
- Several people have written to us where an ERO does not seem to be clear on the right to appoint a proxy outside of the relevant constituency and for that proxy to exercise the vote via a postal proxy vote. We have let the Electoral Commission know and they are flagging this to EROs. So do ask your ERO if you need a postal proxy vote because you can have one.
- There are also some constituencies where the information on their website has generally not been updated to reflect the rule changes. Again this has been flagged.
Finally, we have realised that some people are having to wait a long time for a confirmation that their application has gone through. If you do not receive an initial email confirmation that your application has been passed to the relevant constituency, or you receive that email but then do not hear from the constituency for several weeks, do get in touch with the relevant electoral registration office to check that your application has been received and is being processed. Also, bear in mind that some EROs have had to wait until the IT interface between their website and the government website was updated before they could process applications from overseas electors.
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