Should Americans be allowed to vote in the UK

Would you be prepared to serve in the armed forces of the country you are in?

Asking me personally, yes I would if called to do so. And fortunately because all my citizenship nations are great allies and friends of each other (Canada, the US, the UK), I think it'd be highly unlikely they'd ever go to war against one another. But that's my individual case. I can't answer for others or on a higher policy level.

I didn't say you were being cheeky for believing that Americans shouldn't have the right to vote in the UK.  I agree with that.  I said you were being cheeky for arguing that when people leave their country (any country) that they cut their ties, lose their connections to their native country, and therefore should no longer be able to vote there.  That's a strange argument to make on an expat forum.  I read all your posts and I can't quite determine what your point of view is.  Have you ever lived abroad? 

As it happens yes. I've lived in South Africa, Gibraltar and Italy and I've stopped in many other countries but not for long enough to class myself as living there.

I didn't mean to offend anyone when I said if they no longer are resident in that country they shouldn't be able to vote and I certainly didn't when I lived abroad (although legally I could of).

It's just an opinion and like everyone's on here its neither right nor worng.

There might be some grandfathering in for those already here, but I wouldn't be surprised if the franchise were eventually restricted to UK and other EU citizens, but no one else.

I wouldn't be surprised either, probably with no small amount of pressure from the EU.   

But as I see it, if Commonwealth citizens living in the U.K. aren't allowed to vote, why should the citizens of other EU countries be allowed?  (With the possible exception of the Republic of Ireland, where reciprocal voting arrangements have been in place ever since it became the Irish Free State, and of other British but non-U.K. jurisdictions such as Jersey, Guernsey, etc.).

I wouldn't be surprised either, probably with no small amount of pressure from the EU.   

But as I see it, if Commonwealth citizens living in the U.K. aren't allowed to vote, why should the citizens of other EU countries be allowed?  (With the possible exception of the Republic of Ireland, where reciprocal voting arrangements have been in place ever since it became the Irish Free State, and of other British but non-U.K. jurisdictions such as Jersey, Guernsey, etc.).

EU citizens aren't allowed to vote in UK Parliamentary elections or for referenda. EU citizens are only allowed to vote in EU Parliamentary elections in the UK (as long as they're also not voting in their home country at the same time!) and local elections.

Although they are also EU citizens, citizens of Ireland are allowed to vote in all UK elections (parliamentary, EU and local) for historical reasons. Citizens of Malta and Cyprus are allowed to vote in all UK elections because they're also members of the Commonwealth. However as I mentioned above, these across-the-board rights could likely be restricted.

Lets see how it works in the US.

I was in the US Air Force for 4 years but I was not allowed to vote because I wasn't a US citizen.

I was a Brit in the US Air Force. ( They paid better and I liked their uniforms, they were not itchy like the ones the Queen offered me )

HAHAHAHAHA

I haven't read thru this whole thread....but just so you know..I am a USC have lived on the Isle of Man for 12yrs...not renounced a thing...and I vote......it's never been an issue no one has ever questioned it.....

Just to clarify..I have only voted on issues here on the IoM...not anything pertaining to the UK...so I suppose this might not be relevant?

Just to clarify..I have only voted on issues here on the IoM...not anything pertaining to the UK...so I suppose this might not be relevant?

Remember that the Isle of Man is not officially part of the United Kingdom, nor is it a member of the EU, so legal voting rights are determined by the local government.

And I didn't make it terribly clear in my post last night, but the Channel Island jurisdictions of Jersey & Guernsey are similarly not in the European Union (and are not part of the United Kingdom).

EU citizens aren't allowed to vote in UK Parliamentary elections or for referenda. EU citizens are only allowed to vote in EU Parliamentary elections in the UK (as long as they're also not voting in their home country at the same time!) and local elections.

So would it be fair to allow citizens (legally resident here) of other EU countries to vote in local elections, but not Commonwealth citizens, or indeed resident citizens of the U.S. and other countries?

I believe EU citizens can vote in local elections in the UK, i.e. primarily in local council elections. Is that not correct? They can't vote in national, parliamentary elections. It's easy enough to research on the web, of course.

Well, being that the subject was "should Americans be allowed to vote in the UK" - not if they aren't citizens.
But I'll do a swap....they can vote here if I can vote in the US.

If you are legally living in a country, contributing to their economy, paying taxes, etc. then why should you not be allowed to have a say in how that money is being spent?  Why are you not allowed to vote on issues that affect you and your family?  Why should only citizens of a country be allowed to contribute their opinions...when everyone that lives in the country is affected by the decisions?  Who says a citizen's opinion is worth more than an expat's (and by that I mean, giving the citizens the venue to voice their opinions by voting)?  And why?

I'm not talking about legalities (current immigration laws, etc.)...I'm just asking your opinion of why a citizen should have more rights than an expat.  The expat might contribute more to the country as a whole and/or be much more knowledgable in the aspects of politics than the citizen.  Does a worthless citizen automatically deserve to have more rights than an expat who is a valuable asset to society (and could have been for 50 years or more) just because of where they were born? 

*Just to note, this entire post is based on natural-born citizens, not immigrants who gain citizenship (which seems more relevant to the original post on foreigners being allowed to vote in another country)*

If one wants to vote in the UK, then they must take up citizenship. It's the rule. Otherwise they are a guest, tax-paying or not. Once they become a citizen, they can vote if they want non-citizens to have a vote or to have a say in the way their money is spent.

There should not be any issue with absentism voting. You get the vote by virtue of being a citizen. What about armed forces personnel? They could be deployed for a long time and out of touch. Being informed is not a requirement to voting just as not being a land owner is no longer a requirement, just being lawful citizen is the rule. I say lawful because I think prisoners aren't allowed the vote (correct me if I am mistaken).

Incidentally, any US citizen who joins a foreign armed force or is elected to a foreign government could (not necessarily will) have their US citizenship revoked (this was the case when I enquired of the rules decades ago).

I'm fine with not being able to vote in the UK It's strange to spend five years in a place and be so disenfranchised from the political process, but I'm used to it, and it just reminds me that I am a temporary resident, even if I stay here a few more years.

However, while I feel about as British as I do French or Argentinian or Jordanian (yes, I'm just American), I certainly feel like a Londoner, and I'm not happy that I don't have a say in the mayoral elections while every new resident from Europe and basically every country the British Empire had its talons in does.

I say lawful because I think prisoners aren't allowed the vote (correct me if I am mistaken).

Correct, although there was talk of challenging that a short while ago.  The EU thinks it's a violation of prisoners' human rights.

I'm fine with not being able to vote in the UK It's strange to spend five years in a place and be so disenfranchised from the political process, but I'm used to it, and it just reminds me that I am a temporary resident, even if I stay here a few more years.

However, while I feel about as British as I do French or Argentinian or Jordanian (yes, I'm just American), I certainly feel like a Londoner, and I'm not happy that I don't have a say in the mayoral elections while every new resident from Europe and basically every country the British Empire had its talons in does.

I can sympathise with you but as far as the other Europeans and Commonwealth being allowed to vote here, it's not much different than a US citizen moving from one state to another. You still retain the right to vote in the new state once you've registered or got a driver's license (see below).

Here's are two pieces of trivia I came across
If you have never lived in the USA. If your parents are US citizens who registered your birth with the appropriate authorities and you are entitled to carry US Passport, sixteen states will allow you to vote at your parents last voting address even if you never lived in the USA.

Here's another one that could be a real biatch to those who don't drive:
Indiana introduced a law in 2005 requiring voters to have a government-issued driving licence that includes photo ID. Fair voting rights groups and Democrats claim this discriminates against poor people, many of whom do not have cars. The Indiana supreme court upheld the new law in April this year. [2008]

I can sympathise with you but as far as the other Europeans and Commonwealth being allowed to vote here, it's not much different than a US citizen moving from one state to another.

Yes, in a legal sense that's true, but from a cultural standpoint (including awareness of politics and laws), it's not even close.  America is one country and we all fall under the same federal laws (granted each state has their own laws also - but they must not contradict federal laws - in theory), unlike different countries within the EU.  Moving from one state to another state would be most closely associated with moving within the UK (perhaps!) and how the laws in Scotland, England and Wales very.

I could be way off here but I don't think the intent of the OP was to reword existing laws...but more of expressing your opinion...should it be allowed (legalities aside)?  Changes in our governments and laws would never come about if people didn't ask themselves these type questions to begin with.  Just because that's the way it is, doesn't make it right (or wrong).