Britons abroad urged to vote by proxy rather than post
British nationals living overseas are being urged to nominate a friend or relative in the UK to vote on their behalf in the next general election, rather than rely on a postal vote.
With less than five weeks until the election, council returning officers want to avoid Britons who live overseas receiving their postal vote too late to be able to return it by 10pm on Election Day, Thursday 12 December.
Council teams who run elections are bound by strict rules which can limit the opportunity to use the postal vote system.
Council cannot finalise ballot papers and postal packs until 19 days before the election, when nominations close. The packs and ballot papers then have to be printed, meaning that postal votes might not go out until there are only 10 to 12 days before an election.
The appointed proxy must vote at their friend or family member’s designated polling station; however, they do not need to do it physically as they can also apply to cast their proxy vote by post. If you choose to vote by post as a proxy the deadline to apply is 5pm on 26 November.
All the proxy has to do is phone Eastleigh Borough Council on 023 8068 8000 and the Council Elections Team will help them set it up.
Find more information about key deadlines