Why this election matters
 
Polling across Europe shows that this election will have a significantly lower voter-participation than the European election 5 years ago. Elections with such low turn-out favour the parties on the political extreme. In the UK the parties benefiting from a low turn-out are the very euro-sceptic or euro-phobic Libertas, UKIP UK Independence Party and on the outright racist end of the spectrum the BNP British National Party.
 
The far-right British National Party could win its first seats in the European Parliament if they claim just 8% of the vote! 
 
Why EU ex-pats matter in this election
 
The higher the turn-out the more votes are required for extreme parties to get elected.
 
With over 800,000 EU ex-pats on the electoral register across the UK and around 340,000 in London alone, EU citizens could have real impact on the outcome of these elections. Your vote counts is not just a slogan.

EU citizens have the option to vote in the European elections either in their home country or in the country they live in. Usually, about 80% of EU ex-pats vote in the country they live in not the country they are citizens of in European elections.

However, in the UK EU-expacts are four times less likely to be on the electoral register than UK citizens – which is why it is important for you to make sure you are on the register, and confirmed to vote here in the forthcoming election.

How you can Vote

EU ex-pats who are already on the electoral register will have to fill in and sign an additional form. This ‘European Parliament voter declaration form’ asks EU ex-pats to confirm that they will vote in the UK and not in their home country. This is to prevent individuals from voting twice, once in each country.

This is new for the 2009 election, no such form was necessary in 2004. Councils have already sent out these forms to EU ex-pats on the register. If you have not received it, contact your council and ask for it.

EU ex-pats not on the register will have to fill in a voter registration form as well.

The deadline for the registration and EP voter declaration is May 19, 2009.

For further information on this and to download the form please follow the links below. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/PDF/6079%20European_Union_Form_lowres.pdf http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/eu_citizens_form.aspx

Voter Registration Deadline: May 19 

Get on the electoral register

Chose to vote in the UK

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PS: For any additional questions, comments or to offer further support please write to lme.lse@hotmail.co.uk