DOHA: The British embassy has urged British expatriates in Qatar to register online today to vote on the forthcoming referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.
The UK Electoral Commission yesterday launched a day of dedicated activity to encourage British citizens living overseas to register for the vote.
The elections watchdog is hosting Overseas Voter Registration Day today to boost the numbers of UK residents overseas on the UK’s electoral registers.
With the date of the referendum as yet unknown, the commission has advised UK expats to register sooner so they can be sure they are registered in time. Expats can register online to vote in just a few minutes at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
British Ambassador to Qatar Ajay Sharma said: “The EU referendum will be an important vote for all British citizens whether you live abroad or at home. It will affect the UK’s relationship with Europe which impacts on so many aspects of our lives. It is so important that everyone’s voice is heard. That is why we are urging UK nationals living in Qatar to take five minutes on Overseas Registration Day to visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
While Overseas Voter Registration Day is not the only day you can register, it is the perfect opportunity for everyone to encourage friends, family or colleagues to check if they can take part and ask them to go online to register from wherever they are in the world, said the embassy.
At the 2015 general election there were almost 106,000 overseas electors on the register, three times the number on the register ahead of the previous general election in 2010 and the highest number of overseas voters registered ever. This is a fraction of the 5.5 million UK citizens estimated to be living overseas, and potentially eligible to vote on the EU referendum.
To register as an overseas voter, UK residents overseas must have previously been registered in a UK constituency within the last 15 years. Once registered, overseas voters can choose how they wish to vote. They can vote by post, by proxy (voting by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf), or in person at a polling station if they have travelled to the UK on polling day. It should be easier to vote by post for the referendum as the timetable for postal votes has been extended to allow postal votes to be sent out earlier than usual, giving overseas voters further time to receive, complete and return their ballot pack to the UK.
The Peninsula
DOHA: The British embassy has urged British expatriates in Qatar to register online today to vote on the forthcoming referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.
The UK Electoral Commission yesterday launched a day of dedicated activity to encourage British citizens living overseas to register for the vote.
The elections watchdog is hosting Overseas Voter Registration Day today to boost the numbers of UK residents overseas on the UK’s electoral registers.
With the date of the referendum as yet unknown, the commission has advised UK expats to register sooner so they can be sure they are registered in time. Expats can register online to vote in just a few minutes at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
British Ambassador to Qatar Ajay Sharma said: “The EU referendum will be an important vote for all British citizens whether you live abroad or at home. It will affect the UK’s relationship with Europe which impacts on so many aspects of our lives. It is so important that everyone’s voice is heard. That is why we are urging UK nationals living in Qatar to take five minutes on Overseas Registration Day to visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
While Overseas Voter Registration Day is not the only day you can register, it is the perfect opportunity for everyone to encourage friends, family or colleagues to check if they can take part and ask them to go online to register from wherever they are in the world, said the embassy.
At the 2015 general election there were almost 106,000 overseas electors on the register, three times the number on the register ahead of the previous general election in 2010 and the highest number of overseas voters registered ever. This is a fraction of the 5.5 million UK citizens estimated to be living overseas, and potentially eligible to vote on the EU referendum.
To register as an overseas voter, UK residents overseas must have previously been registered in a UK constituency within the last 15 years. Once registered, overseas voters can choose how they wish to vote. They can vote by post, by proxy (voting by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf), or in person at a polling station if they have travelled to the UK on polling day. It should be easier to vote by post for the referendum as the timetable for postal votes has been extended to allow postal votes to be sent out earlier than usual, giving overseas voters further time to receive, complete and return their ballot pack to the UK.
The Peninsula
