British overseas scramble to arrange proxy votes for December election

British living abroad are scrambling to arrange proxy votes for December’s U.K. election to avoid ballots getting lost in the post.

Several local councils have written to voters based overseas urging them to find someone in the U.K. to vote on their behalf in the December 12 poll.

British citizens can vote for up to 15 years after leaving the country, either by post, or by appointing a U.K.-based proxy to cast their ballot in person or by post on their behalf. They cannot cast their vote at a U.K. Embassy or consulate.

Problems with the system became apparent in the May 2019 European election, which the U.K. did not expect to take part in until Brexit was delayed at the last minute. Overseas voters complained of being disenfranchised when postal ballots did not arrive on time.

Several councils anticipated that the problem would rear its head again and wrote to voters before the December 12 snap election was called.

Via Politico