Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 191889 on Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting before the General Election.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Details of legislation will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has made on bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The secondary legislation to deliver the overseas electors change is expected to be made and come into force in January 2024.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The secondary legislation to deliver the overseas electors change is expected to be made and come into force in January 2024.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Committee has had recent discussions with the Electoral Commission on when secondary legislation on overseas voting would need to be introduced to Parliament to ensure that all overseas voters can properly register and vote.
Answered by Cat Smith
The Speaker's Committee has not had discussions with the Electoral Commission on the matter referred to.
The Commission has consistently highlighted to the UK Government that any changes to legislation should be in place six months before being implemented or complied with, so that Electoral Registration Officers, Returning Officers and voters have enough time to prepare.
The Commission is working to develop guidance for electoral administrators to help them understand and deliver the forthcoming changes to the overseas voter franchise. It will also expand its public awareness work targeting the overseas voter audience in the lead-up to UK parliamentary elections.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to bring forward secondary legislation to implement the provisions of the Elections Act 2022 on Extension of franchise for parliamentary elections: British citizens overseas.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress has been made in developing secondary legislation on overseas voting.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Elections Act gained Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The necessary secondary legislation is currently being developed and will be brought forward in due course. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Individuals applying to register as overseas electors are currently subject to identity checks.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate ID requirements for overseas voters.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Elections Act gained Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The necessary secondary legislation is currently being developed and will be brought forward in due course. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Individuals applying to register as overseas electors are currently subject to identity checks.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to have implemented secondary legislation on overseas voting.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Elections Act gained Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The necessary secondary legislation is currently being developed and will be brought forward in due course. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Individuals applying to register as overseas electors are currently subject to identity checks.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many overseas voters requested a vote in the 2019 general election, listed by the constituency to which they were allocated.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
At the 2019 General Election, the Electoral Commission reported that approximately 230,000 overseas electors were registered to vote. The Commission published (attached) a breakdown of overseas electors by constituency in Great Britain. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/UKPGE%202019-%20Electoral%20Data-Website.xlsx>.
Overseas electors have the option to vote by post, by proxy or in person (where the elector is in the relevant constituency on the day of the poll). The Government does not hold data on the voting method used by overseas electors to cast their vote or how many of them do. The Government does not hold data on the number of overseas electors who submitted a postal vote application.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional people will be enfranchised by their proposal to introduce votes for life for British citizens living overseas.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Elections Bill Impact Assessment estimates the removal of the 15 year rule will increase the number of British citizens abroad who are eligible to register to vote from 0.9 million - 1.1 million people to 3.2 million - 3.4 million people in 2023/24.