Edinburgh MP's new law set to allow Scottish voters to apply for postal vote online

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Voters in Scotland and Wales could soon apply online for postal votes in Holyrood and Senedd elections - thanks to Edinburgh North & Leith Labour MP Tracy Gilbert.

Voters throughout Great Britain can already apply online for a postal ballot paper for general elections and national referendums.

But residents in Scotland and Wales have to use a paper form if they want a postal vote for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, or their local authorities.

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Ms Gilbert brought forward a private member’s Bill at Westminster to change the law and allow online applications for Scots and Welsh voters in the devolved parliament and council elections as well.

The Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales ) Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, January 17, without a division and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.

If it clears both Houses of Parliament, the Bill would change this system to bring electors in line throughout Great Britain .

Ms Gilbert was hailed as a "modern-day Chartist" by her Welsh Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi for seeking to get more people to vote.

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Ms Gilbert said: "If an elector in Scotland or Wales wishes to have a postal or proxy vote for a devolved parliament or local election, they are still required to fill out a paper application form and physically sent it in to be processed.

"This Bill seeks to end this inconsistency and give voters in Scotland and Wales equal choice in how they apply for an absent vote for use in the Scottish Parliament , Senedd Cymru and local elections."

She added: "It's critical that we make voting as accessible for everyone, and particularly for young people and for disabled people, to encourage as many people as we can to vote."

Democracy minister Rushanara Ali described the paper form process as one which "could be cumbersome and difficult as a process and one that some electors may have had to rely on others to support them".

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She added the Government is "wholeheartedly in support of the aim of removing that divergence" in voting practices throughout Great Britain .

Ms Ali also said that legislation to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in England "will be introduced in due course, strengthening our democracy and empowering young people to participate in it".

Conservative shadow housing, communities and local government minister Paul Holmes said the proposal was a "pragmatic and necessary step towards improving voter access".

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