Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 86648 on Absent Voting: British Nationals Abroad, what steps his Department is taking to help support overseas electors in Australia.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to UIN 86648 on Absent Voting: British Nationals Abroad, the Government is clear that all legitimate electors should be able and encouraged to participate in democracy. This includes overseas electors, who should be able to exercise their vote without unnecessary barriers. The Electoral Commission is responsible for raising awareness to facilitate democratic participation. The EC also undertakes communication campaigns to engage with citizens and promote awareness of, for example, how to register to vote.

As set out in the policy paper, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections published on 17 July 2025, the Government will introduce a package of measures intended to improve the resilience and capacity of the postal voting system overall. These measures include moving the postal vote application deadline three working days earlier in time. The deadline for candidate nominations will also be moved earlier in time in order to allow Returning Officers more time to proof the ballot papers for printers, giving more time for the next part of the process to get underway, and in particular to enable postal ballot papers to be printed and issued to postal voters at an earlier point.

These changes will benefit all administrators and voters, including those living overseas.