Brits: are you registered to vote from abroad?

Living abroad is not always easy. As Helen Creeger blogged recently, being an expat is great but moments of nostalgia do occur: the kettle, good pub, lager and a nice Sunday roast… However, just because you miss (or not) Britain does not mean you cannot have your say back home, especially if you are just off for a few months or a few years.

Indeed, if you are a British citizen and have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, you are eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary (general) elections and European Parliamentary elections in the UK. If you were too young to register when you left the UK, you can still register as an overseas voter so long as your parent or guardian was registered to vote in the UK.

All you need to do is fill in the registration form and send it back to the registration office of your last local council. Be sure to check if you are filling in the right form as they different depending on your status abroad (i.e. armed forces, overseas personnel). Remember to sign the form yourself as your signature is needed for security reasons.

So don’t lose time and send that form back home. The General elections will be held by June at the latest and your vote could be the crucial one, in an election that is set to be one of the closest in years.