Friday , March 29 2024

Britons living abroad more than 15 years get rights to vote

The Queens Speech took place today and during it, it was announced that British Nationals who have been living overseas for Fifteen years or more will now have the right to vote in elections. The move comes as part of a new bill called the Electoral Integrity Bill. Part of the bill  will look to remove the fifteen year limit on British Expat voting rights, therefore making it much easier in the future for British National living abroad to be to be able to cast their votes in UK elections. 

These new laws were agreed by the current UK Government after a lengthy campaign by Harry Schindler who is 99yrs old. Schindler has been campaigning on the subject for many years, taking his case not only to the High Court in 2016, but also to the European Courts of Justice in 2018. 

Boris Johnson has stated: “Many expats worked very hard for their country and have retired abroad and decided to finish off their days somewhere else but that they had made a contribution to their country.”

The bill is part of the wider Electoral Integrity bill that proposes that voters show ID at polling stations when voting, not everyone is happy with that particular part of the bill, but the news of British Nationals now being able to vote in future elections, when they had been unable to, has been welcomed by many. The current rules have prevented many British citizens who live overseas, from voting after living outside of the UK for 15 years.

More news on this will follow when we have it. 

About Chrissie Parker

Chrissie Parker joined the Zakynthos Informer Team in 2014. Chrissie’s first experience of the island was a combined birthday and wedding celebration, in true Zakynthian style. Since then she has been able to combine her love of the island, including its incredible history, tradition and culture, with her love of writing.

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