Who can vote and in what?

There have been quite a lot of votes over the last year or two here in the UK. Who can vote here is quite interesting and part of the reason why is because of the European Union and the Commonwealth.

Voting takes place in elections and referendums and each has different rules of who can vote.

1. General Election (takes place every five years, unless one is called earlier).
• You must be:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 years old on the day of the election
• be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
• not be legally excluded from voting
2. Local government (take place at least every 4 years)/Elected Local Mayors
• To vote in a local government election you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’) (16 or over in Scotland)
• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
• be resident at an address in the area you wish to vote in
• not be legally excluded from voting
3. European Parliament (take place every 5 years)
• To vote in the European Parliament election you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK or Gibraltar (or a British citizen who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
• not be legally excluded from voting
4. Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly and National Assembly of Wales
• To vote in these election you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 16 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’) 
• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen 
• be resident at an address in the country the election takes place
• not be legally excluded from voting
5. Mayor of London and London Assembly
• To vote in the London Mayor and London Assembly elections you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
• be resident at an address in Greater London
• not be legally excluded from voting
6. Police and Crime Commissioner
• To vote in a PCC election you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
• be resident at an address in England or Wales (excluding London)
• not be legally excluded from voting
7. Referendums
• A referendum is a vote on a single issue. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.
• You make one choice between 2 options. Votes are counted for the whole of the UK, not by constituency.
• A referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the EU will be held on 23 June 2016. To vote in the EU referendum you must:
• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the referendum (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK or Gibraltar (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
• not be legally excluded from voting

Another interesting thing is that being on the electoral poll helps your credit in the UK. So those on Indefinite Leave to Remain and other expats should add a note to their credit report that they are unable to vote because they are not a UK citizen.

Some American expats feel it is unfair that even if they are 'settled' persons that they cannot vote but the laws are not dissimilar in the US.

You are eligible to vote in U.S. Federal elections if:

• You are a U.S. citizen.
• You meet your state’s residency requirements.
• You are 18 years old. Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and/or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election.

All the Best!

American to Britain