WIREDGOV

British citizens living abroad that have registered to vote in the UK general election are being encouraged to check they have applied for an absent vote if they are not able to vote in person. 

Applications to vote by proxy in Great Britain can now be made online (Opens in new window) and the deadline to apply is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. 

Proxy voting – when someone you trust votes on your behalf – is the last remaining option for British citizens living abroad unless they have applied for a postal vote or will be in the UK on 4 July.  

Any person who is registered to vote in the general election can be appointed as a proxy. They must be able to get to your polling station to vote on your behalf and show photo ID. 

For the first time, British citizens living abroad are eligible to vote in the general election regardless of how long they have been living outside the UK. 

Since 16 January 2024, when the 15-year rule was abolished, more than 170,000 British citizens living overseas have registered to vote. 

Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance, said

“If you live abroad and plan to vote in the UK general election, you have just a few days left to apply for a proxy vote. 

“Applications to vote by post have now closed, so the only way for overseas voters who have not already made plans is to ask someone they trust to be their proxy and vote on their behalf. 

“We know that there are eligible voters all around the world, so we are calling on anyone with friends and family abroad to help spread the word.” 

For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or press@electoralcommission.org.uk (Opens in new window)

Notes to editors

• The deadline to apply for a proxy vote in the UK Parliamentary general election is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. You must also be registered to vote.
• The deadline to register to vote in the UK general election was 18 June. The deadline to apply to vote by post was 19 June. 
• Previously British citizens were only eligible to vote if they had been living abroad for less than 15 years. The UK Government’s Elections Act 2022, which came into force in January, removed that limit. 
• The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
• enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
• regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
• using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency
• The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Welsh and Scottish Parliaments.