Voting for Britons living abroad or returning to the UK.
You keep the right to vote in general and Eurpean Union elections for up to fifteen years after moving abroad, but you can't vote in UK local government elections. Remeber to register yourself if you return to live in the UK so you don't miss the chance to vote.Register as an overseas voter
To do this you will need to already be registered to vote in the UK
contact the electoral registration office at the local council where you were last registered to vote, and the forms will be sent to you - this also applies if you are only abroad temporarily on polling day: you should inform the registration officer of the date you are returning to the UK

Not registered in the UK
If you are not registered to vote in the UK, you can't vote from abroad, unless you left the UK before you were 18 and your parents/legal guardians were registered to vote in the UK. As long as you left the UK within the last 15 years, you can register with the local council where your parents/legal guardians were last registered.

All overseas voters can vote by post or by proxy. A proxy vote is where you nominate someone else to vote in person on your behalf. This can be arranged at the time of registration. Postal votes are sent out around one week before polling day, so if it would be difficult to receive and return your vote within one week, arrange for a proxy vote.

Service personnel
If you are serving abroad with the armed forces or Her Majesty's Government, you should complete an annual service declaration from your service unit or electoral registration officers register at the UK address where you last lived or would be living if you were still in the UK

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Our Turkish Love
www.ourturkishlove.com

That sounds really complicated. American citizens can always vote in national elections, can register from abroad, and file an absentee ballot just as they would if they were on a business trip on election day. It's really pretty simple. It's nice to know we do some things the easy way.

Thanks for the information, but I don't vote. I don't see the point. All the politicians are essentially the same. It's like voting between getting punched in the right side of your face or the left side of your face; I don't want to get punched at all!

Good job we all don't think that way isn't it!