Britons Voting Abroad
Links to Official Reports and Documents
Cabinet Office
November 2018
‘The UK Government’s Response to the Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2017 UK Parliamentary General Election. Incorporating a response to the Association of Electoral Administrator’s report on the 2017 UK Parliamentary General Election’.
October 2018
Impact Assessment of the Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19 : the Government published this assessment to coincide with the Money Resolution Debate.
8th February 2018
Government response to consultation on Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19
Text of the Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19
Explanatory Notes to the Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19
December 2017
Cabinet Office Democratic Engagement Plan: “Every Voice Matters: Building a Democracy That Works For Everyone”. Overseas electors are dealt with on p. 50-51."
October 7th 2016
Cabinet Office policy paper and consultation on proposal to introduce ‘Votes For Life’: ‘A Democracy that works for everyone: British citizens overseas’.
September 2016
“The UK Government’s Response to the reports of the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Royal National Institute for the Blind on the 2015 UK Parliamentary Election”. Overseas electors are referred to on p.14-15.
Electoral Commission (EC)
December 2017
Report on “The administration of the June 2017 UK general election”. See p. 14-15 for section on overseas voters.
8th December 2016
‘Response to the UK Government’s Policy Statement: A democracy that works for everyone’
September 2016
Report on “The 2016 EU referendum”. For comments that relate to overseas voters see p.9, p.13-14, & p.81-82.
List of other reports by the EC on the EU Referendum
July 2015
“Report on the administration of the 7 May 2015 elections, including the UK Parliamentary general election”. Overseas voters are dealt with on p.6, p.35-37, p.42-44.
July 2015
Report on “Promoting voter registration at the May 2015 elections”. Overseas electors are dealt with in several sections in the report as specified in the Contents page, see especially 33-34, 46-7 & 54-55 for British citizens abroad.
List of EC responses to various consultations
Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA)
List of consultations and AEA responses to them
December 2017
Response to Cabinet Office consultation on renewals for overseas electors
September 2017
Election report: “It’s time for urgent and positive Government action. The AEA’s review of the 2017 local government elections and the UK Parliamentary general election”
November 2016
Response to the Government Policy Statement dated October 2016: “A democracy that works for everyone: British citizens overseas”.
September 2016
Election report: “Pushed to the absolute limit. 2016 – the electoral year never to forget." Overseas electors are dealt with on pages 99-104 of the full report.
July 2015
“Elections and Individual Electoral Registration – The challenge of 2015”
House of Commons
House of Commons Library Briefing Papers:
March 2018
“Overseas Voters” (regularly updated) by Neil Johnston.
February 2018
‘The Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19’, by Neil Johnston.
April 2016
“Private Members’ Bills” by Richard Kelly.
March 2014
“Making Votes Count. Enhancing engagement in the electoral process by British expatriates”.
Report of the Cross-Party Working Group on Overseas Voters.No longer available online.
Venice Commission : European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Council of Europe)
December 2015
Summary Report on Voters Residing De Facto Abroad 21st December 2015.
June 2011
“Report on Out-of-Country Voting” (in Europe)
European Parliament
EP Research Service
June 2015
“Disenfranchisement of EU Citizens resident abroad. Situation in national and European elections in EU Member-States”, by Eva-Maria Poptcheva.
Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Policy Department C: Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs.
April 2013
Report on “Franchise and Electoral Participation of Third Country Citizens Residing in the European Union and of EU Citizens Residing in Third Countries”.
European Commission
January 2014
Communication to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Addressing the consequences of disenfranchisement of Union citizens exercising their right to free movement”.
European Commission Recommendation
“Addressing the consequences of disenfranchisement of Union citizens exercising their right to free movement”.
Clearview Research Ltd / UEA / Electoralmanagement.com
2017
"The Cost of Elections. Funding Electoral Services in England and Wales” by Toby James and Tyrone Jervier.
IPPR (Institute of Public Policy Research)
June 2010
“Global Brit: Making the most of the British diaspora”, Tim Finch and Maria Latorre.
December 2006
“Brits Abroad: Mapping the scale and nature of British emigration” (sponsored by the FCO), Sriskandarajah, D. & Drew, C.
IDEA (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance)
14 November 2007
The International IDEA Handbook on “Voting From Abroad”