Dear Resident,
Do you have British friends or relatives abroad?
I am writing to you today about the new rules governing overseas electors.
These new rules, as set out in the Elections Act 2022, have now come into force, thanks to action by the Conservative Government.
From now on, British citizens living abroad will (in almost all cases) be able to vote in UK parliamentary elections. Previously, this right ended after 15 years living outside the UK. This meant that hundreds of thousands of Britons abroad were often unable to vote in either their country of residence or in the UK. This was clearly wrong, and I have long campaigned to change this.
But not everyone will know about this good news, particularly Britons living overseas. I need your help - please pass this email to any friends or family you know overseas (that includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and the EU). You could even offer to act as their proxy to vote for them, if postal services are slow to (and from) their country of residence.
I have included the details on these changes below as well as a useful Q&A section.
Please share this with friends and family abroad!
Best wishes,
Greg Hands
The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham