House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Update on the Elections Bill: placing citizens' participation at the heart of our democracy
03 February 2022 · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Proposed by Eddie Hughes Con Walsall North
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- Eddie Hughes updates Parliament on the Elections Bill's key changes.
- The Bill extends voting rights for British citizens living overseas.
- An online application service with identity verification for absent votes is introduced.
Issue summary
Eddie Hughes updates Parliament on the implementation of two key changes in the Elections Bill: extending voting rights for British citizens living overseas and introducing an online application service with identity verification for absent votes.
Action requested
The Government is providing its response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's report on the Elections Bill, publishing policy statements detailing the key changes and intentions for secondary legislation. The measures will be implemented within the lifetime of this Parliament with a staged rollout timetable.
Key facts
- The Elections Bill extends voting rights to all British citizens living overseas who have been previously registered or resident in the UK.
- An online application service and identity verification system for absent votes are introduced.
- The measures will remove an arbitrary 15-year limit on voting rights for expatriates.
- Policy statements setting out further requirements regarding how these changes will work in practice have been published.