Dubai: British expatriates in the UAE have just three working days left to register for a postal vote and as an overseas voter.

According to the British Embassy, Abu Dhabi, there are 240,000 Britons residing in the UAE.

Gulf News previously spoke to British expatriates in Dubai, who expressed an unwillingness to vote. While some said they didn't know how to vote from abroad, others said that they may or may not take the time to fill out the forms needed and also that Labour and the Conservative parties are no longer particularly distinguishable from each other.

Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, told Gulf News in a telephone interview that Britons should have hope for the country.

"What causes people to emigrate is the feeling that the country is going to the dogs. It's the difference between optimism and despair — this is what people are worried about."

According to the Office for National Statistics, emigration from the UK reached a record high in 2008, with 427,000 people emigrating.

This was up by 86,000 from 341,000 in 2007 and by 29,000 from 398,000 in 2006.

As there are no polling booths in the UAE British Embassies, overseas voters need to apply for either a postal or proxy vote, if they are not able to vote physically themselves in the UK.

As May 6 is the date set for the general election, application forms for overseas voters should reach the UK by April 26.

Forms

Those choosing a postal vote should first register as an overseas voter and send both this and the application form for postal voting to their previous constituency. The postcode entered on the website where forms are available will provide the address. The ballot will be posted to the overseas address that citizens provide on the form. This then needs to be posted back to the UK constituency.

Those choosing a proxy vote (someone voting on their behalf) also have to be registered as overseas voters, fill in a similar form and name the person they have chosen to cast their vote. The ballot form will be sent to the person they have named as their proxy voter (a close relative, defined as a spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of the applicant).

On the web

For application forms and regulations, log on to www.aboutmyvote.co.uk