Dubai: The voting process for the UK Parliamentary General Election has been simplified for British citizens living abroad.

The UK Electoral Commission has launched a dedicated overseas voter registration campaign to encourage British citizens living abroad to add their names to the electoral register by signing up online.

Estimates show that there may be as many as 5.5 million UK nationals living overseas but fewer than 20,000 are currently on the electoral registers.

The new campaign allows Britons who have previously been registered in a UK constituency within the last 15 years to register by visiting the website https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Those living abroad will be able to register in order to vote ahead of the election due to take place on May 7.

Overseas voters can choose one of three ways to vote after they are registered. They can vote either by sending their votes through post, by proxy, or in person if they are certain they will be in their constituency on polling day. If they decide to vote by post or by proxy, a separate application form also needs to be completed, printed, signed and posted to the relevant electoral registration office. The form is emailed to the citizen’s address provided upon their registration.

“We need to challenge the misconception that once you’ve moved overseas you can’t take part. Many people can and now it’s easier than ever to take the first step by registering online,” said Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission.

While this year may mark the first UK General Election where people can register online, long-term British expats in the UAE said they are not affected by the new campaign.

Gulf News talked to British citizen Mark Kevin Monkhouse, a media executive, who pointed out that while the website may benefit those who moved from the UK in the last decade and were recently registered, it doesn’t affect expats who have been living away for longer periods of time. Living in the UAE for 22 years, Monkhouse said he has never voted simply because he was told he was ineligible to vote as an expat.

“I think the registration and voting rights have not been explained properly to expats. The new online registration should allow everyone with a British passport to register,” he said.

Another British expat living in Dubai, Brian Wilkie, said he won’t be affected by the new campaign since he hasn’t been a resident in the UK for 40 years. He pointed out that whether a non-resident who does not pay taxes should have the right to vote is a matter of debate.

On the other hand, David May, who has been living in Dubai for 32 years, said the online register will be a benefit for many expats around the world. “I think it’s a great idea that will bring a lot of people where they want to be and give them the opportunity to take part in the election,” he said. Having voted in the past in the UK, May said he will register online this year.

To mark the start of the campaign, the elections watchdog is hosting Overseas Voter Registration Day on Thursday.

“Overseas Voter Registration Day is also the perfect opportunity for everyone to encourage friends, family or colleagues to check if they can vote and ask them to register online from wherever they are in the world.”