Overseas voters are not eligible
to vote in local government
elections or elections that use
the local government franchise
(for example devolved legislature
elections or police and crime
commissioner elections). The Bill
would make no changes to the
local government franchise.
The Bill also makes no changes
to the franchise for referendums.
Each national referendum in the
UK, or in one part of hte UK, still
requires separate legislation to
enable the referendum to take
place.
The separate legislation sets out
requirements such as the franchise
to be used and the question to be
asked. Overseas voters will be
allowed to vote in referendums
where the legislation allowing
for the referendum to take place
makes such a provision.
Before 1985 British citizens
resident outside the United
Kingdom were unable to register
to vote in UK Parliamentary
elections. When the franchise was
extended British citizens resident
overseas for the first time a time
limit of 5 years was introduced.
This was changed to a 20-year
limit in 1990 and then lowered to
the current 15-year limit in 2002.
The Bill will remove the time limit
and will allow British citizens
resident overseas to register to
vote in UK Parliamentary elections
permanently, subject to a person
renewing
their
registration
annually.
The Bill will also make other
important
changes.
Under
the current arrangements, a
person can only register at the
last address at which they were
registered to vote in the UK.