as a voter living overseas.....

[mint]

if you are not registered to vote this year, I am afraid you are already too late[+o(]

I am aware that some of us on here cannot vote; one such is our eminent friend, Norman H.  What I wasn't aware of is that you have to re-register every year.

So, through our own fault, we are disenfranchised.  To vote by proxy, you need to wait till they send your proxy form (poxey form) and the last date for their receiving these back is 4 December. 

Perhaps Boris has been advised to go for a snap election, knowing full well that there will be thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands who will be caught out in one way or another through sheer lack of time.

[idun]

   Since we returned to the UK, we have had to register every single year, along with everyone else. That is apparently how it works here. And will be the same for eligible non residents too.

I have no idea if this system is recent'ish, but I know that we have had to do it.

[Loiseau]

Yes, here in the UK I am sent a form to fill in at least every year, to confirm i am still a voter - and also to ask how many other people in my house are eligible.

[mint]

For the 2017 election, we didn't have to send/fill in any forms, the voting papers came to us automatically.  Could be that we registered for the referendum and this form-filling thing is done YEARLY.

Still, our votes wouldn't have made any difference in our ward.  The previous MP had a sizeable majority.

I still think that, if the government had been that keen for people living overseas to vote, they might have put out a TV and radio announcement or at the very least put an announcement in a couple of newpapers.

NOT impressed, not with the government and not with ourselves.....

[mint]

STOP PRESS!  CORRECTION!

Oops, I might have got the earlier info wrong about it being too late to vote.  Whilst helping OH to fill in his form, I realised that I should have got to a page requesting that the proxy form be sent to you by email.

If they do, somehow, manage to get their act together to email you the form you MIGHT still have time by 5.00pm 4 December to have appointed someone to do your voting.

Don't know but could be worth a try?

Also, if not yet registered this year, just do it.  Who knows might be another election in 2020 or even a referendum?

PS  you have approx 40 minutes to get this done!!!

[alittlebitfrench]

Who do you vote for ?

A right wing habitual lying facist scum bag or a far left wing extremist anti semitic Marxist. Both of which don't like woman.

LOL

What is the point of registering to vote ?

You could vote green or Lib dem but the outcome will be the same.

Putin will be in charge !

I feel so sorry for my UK compatriots.

They deserve better.

[mint]

You've got a point, albf.  Even so, I am glad I did manage to get OH and myself registered and have our proxy ready to go.

I was stunned by the efficiency[:-))]  Registered on line and found out that you could appoint your proxy on line.  To make doubly sure, we rang to check that the registration and proxy forms were OK. 

Meanwhile, adopting a belt and braces approach, I sent the proxy forms by post (as the info wasn't at all clear as to whether an emailed copy would be acceptable).  I rang to check yesterday and was told that the emails were received as well as the forms sent by post!!  Imagine, only posted them on Wednesday afternoon and by Friday morning they'd received them.  UNBELIEVABLE....................!!!

[Judith-aka-Judith]

"What is the point of registering to vote ?"

Because people died so that you / we might be able to vote ... whether or not it will make any difference is not the point.  I shall be very upset when my time here means I can no longer vote.  And yes, my proxy was organised last week.

[mint]

Judith, as the politician might say, there is hardly a cigarette paper between our positions on this![:D]  As you see, try as I might, I adopt the things they say, even if with a large helping of irony[;-)]

I, too, will be very upset when we could no longer vote.  We came here in 2007, so maybe 3 more years at a push.

I have voted in all general elections since I was 18.  Did miss the last Blair one as a protest, NOT that it would have been noticed by anyone but myself.

[NormanH]

There is no point me airing my grievances about this yet again, but the additional one is that if Brexit does go ahead I won't be able to vote for any elections at all...

I was on one of the lists for my town in 2008 (it isn't the same system in large towns  as in smaller places with individual candidates) and I wouldn't be able to do this either..

[woolybanana]

Much as I hate to say, I agree with Norman. But then, t’was ever thus. The UK govt done not give a toss about expats - why do you think that the pension rises of those in the old Dominions and others are frozen, something likely to happen to those of us resident inEurope.

[NickP]

I think you will find woolyb that State pension for "ex-pats" isn't frozen in all countries.

[Lehaut]

"I think you will find woolyb that State pension for "ex-pats" isn't frozen in all countries."

Yet :(

[PaulT]

Is it not the case that if there is a reciprocal agreement with the country then pensions rise, no agreement then no rise.

[mint]

[quote user="NormanH"]

There is no point me airing my grievances about this yet again, but the additional one is that if Brexit does go ahead I won't be able to vote for any elections at all...

I was on one of the lists for my town in 2008 (it isn't the same system in large towns  as in smaller places with individual candidates) and I wouldn't be able to do this either..

[/quote]

Norman, YES, I agree.  I was thinking about that; no deal means no vote in our municipal elections.

There goes the only bit of power I have at the mairie[:D]

[idun]

We could vote for 20 years and then in our last very few years could vote in EU and local elections. In the end we could no longer vote in UK elections.

Did any of you who moved well after us, ie in the late 20th century, and 2000's ever think to protect our 20 year rights or do anything about it when you were not living in France???? Even get them extended.

I rather think that  no one gave it a thought to our being disenfranchised.

OR did you??? Were you campaigning the unfairness..... or did you not even notice when it was reduced.

I am interested in the replies, as it is all very well to 'blame' the UK government, but the people of a country have to care, have to have some input and declare their displeasure at such a change.

And frankly as I have said before, I simply accepted that our votes were lost.... and we had chosen to move to France. None of us are 'made' to move to France, we have had to accept french rules and laws and my goodness some of them beggar belief, so that my own country has it's own laws and rules that don't suit is simply how it is.

The choice at the moment, is ofcourse, move back..... and I still see the most awful comments about the UK on here, and yet, our lives are perfectly fine and relaxed......well as much as ours can ever be anywhere, bearing in mind we have some problems that will always be with us.

Quality of life, ours is probably better here in many ways.