An overseas constituency or overseas electoral district is any

electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

located outside of a nation-state's borders but which is recognized by the state's government as a district for the representation of its expatriate (and, technically, military) residents who live within the territory of another nation-state. Such constituencies are often organized in order to engage expatriate or diaspora voters who retain their citizenship. The overseas constituency is considered different from intra-party primaries (organized and funded entirely by political parties or political party organizations with overseas offices) held overseas for expatriate voters. Overseas constituencies may perform their votes at diplomatic embassies and consulates of their home nation-state, through

absentee voting An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station to which the voter is normally allocated. Methods include voting at a different location, postal voting, proxy voting and online vot ...

or through

electronic voting Electronic voting (also known as e-voting) is voting that uses electronic means to either aid or take care of casting and counting ballots. Depending on the particular implementation, e-voting may use standalone ''electronic voting machines'' ( ...

(including

Internet voting Electronic voting (also known as e-voting) is voting that uses electronic means to either aid or take care of casting and counting ballots. Depending on the particular implementation, e-voting may use standalone ''electronic voting machines'' ( ...

Instances of government constituencies

Current

Former

The

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established provisions for an overseas parliamentary seat in 1981, but abolished it in 2003.

Issues and criticism

The establishment of overseas constituencies has generated concern among some governments over possible infringements to national sovereignty. Notably, the Canadian government of

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

in 2011 protested at the establishment of such constituencies covering the territory of Canada by France and Tunisia, and publicly declared that voting booths for the upcoming elections for both countries would not be allowed in Canadian territory. However, in 2012, an agreement was reached between the three countries whereby such booths could be located primarily in embassies and consulate offices. Canada was the only nation that opposed being included in the overseas constituencies.

Instances of political party overseas constituencies

United Kingdom

Conservatives Abroad (CA) is the official political organisation and global network of the Conservative Party for British citizens living permanently or temporarily abroad.

Labour International Labour International is an organisation for members of the Labour Party who live outside the United Kingdom. It is recognised by the National Executive Committee as a constituency Labour Party __NOTOC__ A constituency Labour Party (CLP) is an ...

similarly represents overseas Labour Party voters. The Liberal Democrats has an international branch, Lib Dems Abroad, encompassing some 2000 party members living outside the UK.About Lib Dems Abroad
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United States

Democrats Abroad Democrats Abroad is the official organization of the Democratic Party for United States citizens living temporarily or permanently abroad. The organization is given state-level recognition by the Democratic National Committee. Democrats Abroa ...

is an organization which encourages support among U.S. citizens living overseas for the Democratic Party; it has sent a delegation to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

since 1976 and held its first worldwide party primary in 2008. It is recognized as a "state committee" on par with other statewide committees within U.S. territory.

References

{{reflist Expatriate voting Constituencies