PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk

Replace Automatic Commonwealth Voting Rights with Fair, Reciprocal Rules

The UK Government must end automatic voting rights for Commonwealth citizens and replace them with fair, reciprocal agreements - if British citizens can’t vote in their elections, their citizens shouldn’t automatically vote in ours.

Last fetched 18 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk

Signatures

signatures

Government response threshold (10,000) · 6/10,000

Debate threshold (100,000) · 6/100,000

Petition progress2 events · Aug – Sept 2025

10 SEPT 2025
Petition rejected
no-action
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action. We're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. Commonwealth citizens do not have automatic voting rights simply by arriving in the UK. To vote in UK elections, they must: - resident in the UK - Be 18 or over - Have legal permission to enter or stay in the UK — this includes students, workers, or those with indefinite leave to remain https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/running-electoral-registration-england/eligibility-register-vote/what-are-nationality-requirements-register-vote/can-a-commonwealth-citizen-register-vote
14 AUG 2025
Petition created

Background

Currently citizens from 56 Commonwealth countries including countries with large diasporas living in the UK such as India, Pakistan and Nigeria can automatically vote in the UK from the moment they arrive, even students who are only temporarily resident. British Citizens have no right to vote in most Commonwealth countries. This outdated law should be replaced with a reciprocal system, allowing only British citizens - or citizens of countries that let Brits vote - to cast ballots in the UK.