How to vote in the UK from Overseas

How to vote in the UK if you are overseas
you can't change anything if you don't vote. If you have been gone less than 15 years you can still vote in UK elections. The bit pertaining to us is under "would you like to register to vote now"

When you register to vote, you have to register in the same constituency where you last lived in the UK. It is best to have a look at the relevant local council website as they often have their own forms...

You need two forms, one to register to vote and the other for a postal ballot.

You also need another Brit to countersign your form.

If you vote by post it may not arrive as the forms are only issued shortly before election day.

Ah well, that rules me out then.

I did use to to vote regularly at first, but following the labour landslide, there didn't seem much point any more - and now, apparently I can't!

Can't vote in UK, can't vote in Germany, at least not in anything where it matters, maybe we need a Boston Tea Party here - no taxation without representation!

By the way, somewhere in the back of my mind, I seem to remember reading somewhere that actually, according to EU law, we ought to be able to vote in German national elections if we live here permanently.

Anybody know what exactly the situation is?

totally agree with you RMA...I hate feeling disenfranchised!!! I have never been able to vote in UK since I've been here...the last place I lived in London was where I lived, not where I had a life! I knew no-one there I could give a postal ballot to...only option would have been to allow the local labour (or whatever) party to nominate someone for me and I didn't want to do that...bad enough not having a direct postal ballot but having to trust a nominee...

I always voted in the UK, first time on my 18th birthday...

Count me in on the tea-party. I have never seen the right in being compelled to pay taxes without having a say in what's done with them.

I've been here 20 years and earlier, when I wanted to vote back home, they said I could only vote by proxy, which I did not want out of respect for family diplomacy...

As far as I could find out, there are no plans anyplace for non citizens to be given the right to vote at national parliamentary elections. Unless you become a citizen of that country, you don't get a vote there, which does seem contrary to the right of free movement and residence between EU states, if the citizenship state elimiates the right to vote nationally after some period of time as an ex-pat and no right exists in the state of residence as long as original citizenship remains.

The only exceptions seem to be the nordic states: Norwegians, Swedes and Danes can apparently vote if they live in one of the other nordic countries. Finns can apparently vote in German elections.

I think that unless EU Citizens are given the right to a parliamentary vote in their country of residence, then their country of citizenship should maintain their right to vote there, to be inline with EU citizens rights.

The british deliniation after 15 yrs absence, is probably aimed at emigrants to the rest of the world from the time before EU. It does not seem to be in-line with the EU or CBSS citizens rights.

I think that could only be changed by lambasting Westminster, going to the EU Court of Human rights, etc. Shall we start a campain kitty? Get the chains out?

Couldn't agree more. I've had many a circular argument with some german friends of mine and it always goes like this:

me: I pay taxes here I should be able to vote.

them: But you're not German!

me: What is the result of an election?

them: The new government is elected.

me: And how is the government financed?

them: Through taxes.

me: Exactly, therefore I have a right to vote on how my tax money is spent.

them: But you're not German...

So I'm up for a bit of rebellion as well.

Maybe it should be called 'The Frankfurt Wurst Party'..

Personally I think it should be the 'Hamburg Tea-party' with the Beatles song 'Revolution' as our anthem. Here's why it should be Hamburg Tea-party:

1. Hamburg is Germany's most 'Anglo' city
2. The Beatles learned their trade here in the Grossefreiheit
3. Tea is the typical British drink

A call to arms to all Brits in Germany...

No taxation without representation!!!

Off with their mullets!!!

And raid the coffee warehouses, throw all the Tchibo into the harbour!

Without TCM and "Milde-Bohne", all the Mullets would be naked and thirsty