BOVF have published “Recommendations for the United Kingdom to enable voters living overseas to fully and properly participate in national elections with reference to practices adopted in 20 major and relevant countries”
SUMMARY
The systems that UK Citizens overseas rely on to vote are ranked close to bottom in the world.
The 2024 legal reform granted all British citizens who have once lived in the UK the right to vote in national elections. This measure expanded the potential overseas voter base from an estimated 1.4 million to around 3.4 million. Even so, only 191,000 overseas citizens registered in 2024. This low number highlights systemic barriers including low awareness and unreliable or complex voting methods. In essense:
(1) Postal voting does not work well enough due to the international postal system. The Electoral Commission reported that just 52% of postal ballots sent to voters overseas were received back in time to be counted. As postal systems around the world continue to deteriorate, the number of successful ballots will only further reduce.
(2) Proxy voting assumes voters know someone who can be trusted with their vote, which is often not the case. It is also complicated to set up and, in any case, violates the principle of the secrecy of the vote.
In both of the above cases, the voter has no idea if their vote has been counted. This democratic failure demands urgent reform.
Study of 20 major countries indicates practices that the UK can and must consider
Key recommendations focus on enabling overseas voters to cast their ballots securely, swiftly, and with confidence, while also reducing the administrative burden on UK local authorities.
The most important changes required in the lifetime of this parliament are:
(1) Allow voters to return ballots directly to embassies and consulates in person or by local postal mail. These diplomatic missions would forward
ballots to the UK using secure diplomatic mailbags, ensuring timely delivery.
(2) Allow voters to download ballot papers online. Local authorities would see their burden reduced at their busiest time. Pre-addressed envelopes could be sent out early and voters could also be allowed to use their own envelopes by following clear instructions.
