Over three million British citizens living abroad have regained their right to vote in British General Elections and referendums following the implementation of the Elections Act 2022. This represents the biggest increase in the British electoral franchise since the introduction of full female suffrage in 1928.
As of today, Tuesday 16th January 2024, the arbitrary 15-year limit on voting rights has been scrapped and British citizens worldwide will be able to register to vote online regardless of how long they have been overseas. This will be linked to the last UK address they were either registered to vote at or lived at.
British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott below:
Upon registration, they will now remain on the electoral roll for up to three years. After registration, electors will also be able to apply online for either a postal or proxy vote.
Today’s enactment is the culmination of the ‘Votes for Life’ campaign, led by Conservatives Abroad - the British Conservative Party’s global network of members and supporters overseas.
The ‘Votes for Life’ campaign has also been a long-standing Conservative Manifesto commitment.
Commenting, Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP said:
“From today, millions of British nationals across the world can exercise their right to vote in future General Elections and have their say in the way their country should be governed.
"The Conservatives have once again shown that we are the party for democracy and protecting an individual’s right to vote.”
Conservative Party Chairman, Richard Holden MP, commented:
“After years of hard work from Conservatives Abroad and our party members we have finally seen the biggest expansion of our democratic franchise in almost a century, despite persistent opposition from Labour and Liberal Democrats.
“I look forward to reaching out and connecting with our overseas voters in the months ahead.”
Heather Harper MBE, Chairman of Conservatives Abroad, which led the campaign to restore the franchise, said:
“Millions of people living abroad, both working and retired have been prevented from exercising their democratic right to vote.
“This new measure puts Britain back on a par with democracies such as the USA, France, Italy and New Zealand in recognising the importance of their citizens worldwide.”
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