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Snapshot of _Brits abroad, have you received your postal vote?_ : An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote/how-vote-post) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote/how-vote-post) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ukpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Pavoir

Mine didn't arrive, so I have just applied for a proxy vote.


SweatyNomad

May I ask what country you're in? I'm in Poland, which has a terrible postal service Luckily I have a family member flying Wednesday morning so can post it in the UK as long as it arrives. Had t occurred to me to flip to a proxy vote. Feel like votes abroad are something local embassies should help facilitate


Ok_Indication_1329

You can apply for a proxy vote now. You only have until 5pm today.


Pavoir

Am in Vietnam. Post here also sucks. Glad I got the proxy request in in time!


TheZoltan

I have tried to do a Postal Vote from Canada twice. The first time my ballot arrived the day before the election and the second time it arrived on election day..... Not the best system. This time I went with a proxy vote but actually will be voting in person as by some weird twist of fate the Election was called while I'm visiting lol


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TheZoltan

When I called to ask about it I was informed they post all ballots at the same time which just seems like a system doomed to fail for anyone outside of Europe!


Blazefresh

I applied for my postal vote in Canada on the 4th of June.. still haven’t received it.. shame. Even if I sent it Monday it still wouldn’t arrive in time. Sometimes it feels like postal votes abroad are designed not to be counted 


howtheeffdidigethere

Same situation here (though in the US, not Canada). Call me a cynic, but I do think there’s something intentional about them not rushing to count votes from abroad. My guess is, if you’re living abroad and yet still politically tuned in enough to care to vote, chances are you’re also educated enough to not want the Tories to win. And given that the Tories are currently in power.. yeah, I can see why they wouldn’t want to make voting from abroad any easier.


Blazefresh

Oh really? I actually heard that overseas voters leaned conservative but it was just a reddit comment somewhere so I don't know that for sure. I also heard people weren't getting their postal votes that literally lived in England, so maybe it's just a general shambles rather than a conspiracy lol. Although that was London, which does lean red.. so...


zipolightning

Got mine on Monday (west coast USA) and posted it back out yesterday. Based on how long birthday cards take to get to the UK, it should make it on time but it'll be a close run thing. I find it ironic that the Tories spent so much effort to get more overseas voters, thinking it would help them, then didn't bother to do anything that would actually make these votes count. Fun fact - the return envelope has markings saying no postage necessary and some international mail verbiage to support this. I showed it to the people in my post office and they went away for a while then came back and said "you'll need a stamp". So if you really want your vote to count, you'll have to pay.


timjwilkinson

Same experience here. Arrive Monday (west coast USA) and the post office said I needed a stamp ... which I rather suspected they would. Now it'll either arrive on time on in 3 months (mail to the UK seems very bimodal).


higglety_piggletypop

My husband's arrived a week ago. We're in Germany. 


LetterheadOdd5700

Yes, I got mine in Luxembourg last Thursday and posted it off this week.


Scous

Liverpool City Council are handling mine as I used to live in Liverpool. They tell me that it will be sent out on 26 June! I live in the south of Spain so unlikely to reach me in time to vote and get it back. Yet they approved my application on 18 June. Absolutely ridiculous and disgraceful.


SweatyNomad

I just voted in Alicante for the EU elections under my Polish passport in a local hotel. So simple it was ridiculous.


RoDoBenBo

Nope! Second time applying well in advance, second time still waiting just a few days out... Last time it arrived a day or two before and I wasn't prepared to pay 50€ postage on the off chance it made it back in time. I feel stupid thinking it would be different this time, but a proxy vote wasn't feasible for me either, so...


srb445

Same here. I'll have to take a different approach next time


soggy_bellows

In Taiwan. Received it today. Much too late. Had to fedex it back but it’ll arrive on Thursday.


robster01

Nothing in Spain - too late for a proxy and the non-receipt of a postal vote doesn't qualify for an emergency proxy either


jimicus

In Ireland. Got myself on the electoral roll for voting abroad ages ago. But they didn't exactly shout from the rooftops that this still requires you to make it to your old polling station - you have to apply for a postal vote separately. I did that as soon as they emailed me, of course. But I think they're purposely slow-walking the process of sending a ballot to anyone who registered for a postal vote, because they said don't expect it before later this week. I won't be too surprised if it rocks up far too late.


SweatyNomad

Oh, I didn't apply for postal voting thinking it was automatic. This makes sense. I'm a dual citizen and it was so easy to vote in the EU elections where I was for a wedding. I'm going to talk to my friend who worked in embassies to see if there is a stern letter I can write


jimicus

I thought the same thing. It seems crazy that they don't tie the two things together; as it stands it was sent as a paragraph right at the bottom of an email I obviously didn't read properly.


WhoIsYourDaddy04

Still not received mine. Today is a public holiday here so no chance of it coming today. I'd say there's now no chance of me getting it back before the election.


Charklebear

Mine hasn't, even though my council confirmed it was posted early last week... I'm out in Japan so it should have been sent much earlier. Very frustrated. I originally had a proxy vote with my sister but when the election date was declared, she was also going to be out of the country on that date.


emilini22

I got mine today and I'm in Australia. I should have got my sister to do a proxy vote for me. I'll know next time :')


bmethods

Also in Japan here and got mine yesterday. Not super useful haha


Charklebear

Oh nooo. I still don’t have mine, even more useless hahaha!


emilini22

Just received mine in Australia but I have zero faith it will get there in time haha :')


srb445

I'm in Australia: nothing has arrived yet. Even if they arrive today and I vote, the completed papers will not reach the UK in time


gracebw

Mine arrived today in Brisbane but like you say, no chance of getting it back in time!


srb445

So frustrating. It's now polling day and mine still hasn't arrived


gracebw

Mine arrived in Australia today, so I won’t be able to vote because I can’t get it back to the UK in time.


xmBQWugdxjaA

It's so stupid we still don't have Estonia style ID cards, digital ID and online voting.


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xmBQWugdxjaA

It works in Estonia... And it's tough to verify postal voting, like to check your vote was actually counted, etc.


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LetterheadOdd5700

>Online voting is worse than postal voting in terms of potential risks Why? It's perfectly easy to apply for and receive a postal vote for someone else; you just need their last UK address and their name. With online voting, as it's done in many European countries, you can use a national ID card in a card reader linked to a pc and then either using a fingerprint or system of codes, you access an online portal where the vote can be submitted. Simples. >people who have a genuine need for them People who live abroad where there are no polling stations have a genuine need.