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The following information has been passed to Safe Communities Portugal concerning the forthcoming EU Referendum

PORTUGAL – KEY MESSAGES ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTERS REGISTRATION 

  • If you are a British national, and you have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, you are eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary General Elections, UK-wide referendums, and European Parliamentary elections
  • one of the most historic decisions the UK will make for a generation is on the horizon: on 23 June there will be a referendum to decide whether the UK should remain in or leave the European Union
  • The Electoral Commission is keen for you to register as early as possible to ensure you can have your say: the process for registration as an overseas elector is easy; it takes just five minutes online – link here 
  • You will need to know your National Insurance number, and have your passport to hand, if you have one. If you don’t have a National Insurance number you can still register, but you may have to supply more information to show who you are
  • Once registered, you can choose how you wish to vote: either by post, by proxy (where you appoint someone you trust in the UK to vote on your behalf) or in person at your polling station if you happen to be back in the UK on polling day
  • If you do opt for a postal vote, make sure you allow enough time for your ballot paper to be posted out from the UK to here, and then completed and posted back to the UK again;  the Electoral Commission is urging those overseas to register for a postal vote by 16 May
  • Ballot papers will be posted out between 23 and 27 May; your ballot paper must arrive back in the UK by 10pm on 23 June 2016 to be counted in the EU referendum
  • if you were registered to vote for the 2015 General Election, you will have to renew your registration or register again

 

For proxy voting:

For overseas voters registered in Great Britain, once you have completed and signed your proxy voting application form, send it to your local electoral registration office to arrive by 5pm by 5pm on 15 June 2016 

For overseas voters registered in Northern Ireland, you should return your proxy voting application to your local Area Electoral Office by 5pm on 3 June 2016

Useful link: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/overseas-voters

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