In my travels around Australia I am often asked about the EU referendum. And many of those asking are Britons or people with deep ties to the UK.
The interest is understandable. The last referendum on this issue was 40 years ago. Ultimately it will be the British people who decide whether we’re stronger and better off as part of the European Union or on our own.
If you are a Brit living in Australia did you know you might be eligible to have your say on this important question? As long as you have been included on the UK electoral register within the past 15 years you are entitled to cast your vote in certain UK elections, including the upcoming EU Referendum.
Australia has the largest British expat community in the world. Latest figures show approximately 1.2 million Brits reside here. And yet as at the beginning of this year, only approximately 11, 000 British nationals in Australia were registered on the UK electoral roles. While many British people here might be long-term residents excluded by the 15-year rule, a good proportion will be legally entitled to cast their vote. And we want to encourage this group to exercise their democratic right on one of the biggest decisions the UK will make for a generation.
The referendum is due to take place by the end of 2017 at the latest, and, with the date of the referendum as yet unknown, the Electoral Commission has launched Overseas Voter Registration Day on 4 February in an effort to drive up registrations from British nationals abroad. They’ve also made it easier for expats to have their say.
The first step – registering online – is a very simple and quick process. It takes about five minutes. You will need to know your National Insurance number and date of birth, and have your passport to hand if you have one. If you were too young when you left the UK to have been registered, then you can register as an overseas voter if your parents (or guardians) were registered in the UK in the last 15 years.
The second step – voting – can be done via one of three methods. Once registered, you can choose to vote by post, by proxy (where you designate someone you trust to vote on your behalf in the UK), or in person at a polling station if you will be in your UK constituency on polling day. It should be easier to vote by post for this referendum than previous elections as the timetable has been extended to allow postal votes to be sent out even earlier than usual, giving you a bit more time to receive, complete, and return your ballot pack to the UK.
But best not to leave it to the last minute – register now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and see for yourself how easy it is. And please do help us spread the word by letting others know how to register and cast their vote. #PassItOn #yourvotecounts