It seems to have gone live today…with the category for British citizens living abroad. But does not yet allow people outside the UK for more than 15 years to register.
I’m going to do it later when I have more time to myself, but I noticed a catch for some. I you live abroad you need to have been registered to vote within the past 15 years.
I should be ok being disqualified in 2015, 9 years ago, but what about someone who left 31 years ago?
Or have I read that wrongly? 
I hadn’t noticed that as am already registered to vote.
So maybe that’s what they will change next week…I read that the system for people out of the UK for over 15 years was about to go live next week so maybe this is the standard platform unchanged.
Hope so, Have amended the title & post.
Well it doesn’t appear to me to exclude me though, and I have been here 24 years. I’ll give it a try if I have time tomorrow.
I received a link to give the process a test run. It was made clear it was “final beta” testing. (I am still registered to vote anyway.) I gave it a go. I thought it very straightforward.
Yes I did too, which is why I thought this might be the new live system.
I have just read an article in The Local, France on this. The portal for those out of the UK for more than 15 years to register to vote goes live on 16th January.
There are different processes otherwise to register if less than 15 years which will probably still require passport details.
On the “open register” seems straightforward. Website at: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
To remain anonymous, ie not on the published open register appears more complex… Pdf forms to complete and send back available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-to-vote-anonymously
To not appear on the open register you only have to tick the appropriate box during the online application process.
I think it is only voting anonymously for for safety reasons that requires the use of the paper form.
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This is being discussed at length in Brits living in the EU27. However I am confused as having had email correspondence with Barnet Council they said
“ Once the legislation comes into force on the 16th of January – you can go online to register to vote as an overseas elector at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
So I thought I would see what would happen. In fact the link allowed me to register. However I am now having thoughts that Barnet Council have misled me. I attach 4 screen shots. The purple is the screen I get if I use the purple poster link.
Do you use a VPN ?. Maybe ‘you are not authorised to access this page’ is because they think you’re in the UK ? I may give this a go myself later today.
Ummm… it’s not yet the 16th Jan so maybe it won’t work yet? (14th Jan at the time of writing).
When I tried it after a few basic questions it asked when I left the UK and said if I had left more than 15 years ago I was not eligible.
The purple poster link is presumably not yet live, and will allow people through once it is.
No VPN.
No point me trying then, maybe Tuesday, I have the weekly shop tomorrow morning and the funeral of a much missed Phoenix fosterer in Limoges in the afternoon.
The Northern Irish Electoral Office does not seem to be aware of the change in law: it still forbids people who have been away for more than 15 years to register. The last (and only) time I voted there was just after they had changed the voting age from 21 to 18.