June 1st, 2025 | Megan Priestman

Foreign Nationals Could Shape Britain's Future

Those passing through have the right to vote.

In July 2024, I voted in the United Kingdom's general election. This election marked a significant political shift, with the Labour Party under Keir Starmer securing a landslide victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule. 

Just months later, on May 1 2025, I voted again, this time in the local council elections. These elections determine the makeup of the county’s unitary authority, which is responsible for overseeing vital services such as education, housing, and transportation. 

But here’s the problem- I am not a British citizen. I am a Canadian, residing in England on a student visa. I have not applied for permanent residency or naturalization, nor have I been sponsored by my British husband (who, interestingly, has lived in Canada for 30 years). And yet, under current UK electoral law, I was legally entitled to vote in both elections as a “qualifying Commonwealth citizen.” 

When I first discovered that my status granted me the right to vote, I was stunned. It felt inappropriate—almost fraudulent—to be participating in another country’s democratic process when I have no formal, long-term stake in its future. And yet being the deeply political person I am, I voted. Twice. 

Currently, UK electoral law allows citizens of Commonwealth countries residing in the UK to vote in general and local elections if they have leave to remain. This policy, an attempt to mitigate the legacy of Britain’s colonial past, was arguably intended to maintain symbolic ties among the Commonwealth nations. But in modern practice, it is deeply problematic. 

To be clear, I am not suggesting that non-citizen voters swung the results of the recent elections or distorted the democratic will of the British people. The Labour landslide in the general election and the outcomes of local council races likely reflect the genuine preferences of UK citizens. My concern is not with the results per se, but with the principle. For now. 

While exact data on how many non-citizens are voting in UK elections is not readily available, the information we do have suggests the numbers are not trivial. Migration Watch UK estimated in 2008 that roughly 1 million adult Commonwealth citizens residing in the UK were eligible to vote by virtue of their nationality and immigration status. More recently, National Records of Scotland reported that as of December 2024, there were 195,400 foreign nationals registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local elections—4.6% of the total electorate in Scotland. While this includes all foreign nationals, not just Commonwealth citizens, it signals that non-citizen voter participation is more than anecdotal. 

As immigration and temporary visa programs continue to expand, this cohort of non-citizen voters may grow substantially. Over time, the UK could find itself in a position where an increasingly significant share of its electorate has no enduring ties to the country. By the time this becomes an actual problem, the damage to democratic integrity may already be done. 

Someone like me—who can vote today and return to Canada tomorrow—has no direct stake in the long-term effects of the policies I help bring about. If things go wrong, I have the privilege of boarding a plane. British citizens, by contrast, must live with the consequences. 

The democratic process derives legitimacy from the idea that those making decisions through the ballot box are also those who must live with the results. When foreign nationals with no permanent ties to the UK are permitted to vote, this principle is diluted. The right to vote is not just a transactional entitlement. It is a covenant between a citizen and their country—based on mutual responsibility, not mere residence. 

Countries like the United States, France, and Germany don’t allow foreign nationals to vote in national elections. In many cases, even permanent residents must wait years before they are granted that right through naturalization. The UK, by contrast, allows citizens of countries like Canada, India, or Nigeria to vote simply by virtue of temporary residence. This is out of step with other mature democracies. 

This isn’t to say that Commonwealth citizens should never be allowed to vote in the UK. But voting rights should be reserved for those who have committed to building a life here—those who have chosen to stay, to integrate, and to assume the responsibilities that come with citizenship. 

The UK should amend its laws to restrict the right to vote in general and local elections to British citizens and those who have attained Indefinite Leave to Remain or an equivalent long-term immigration status. This would preserve the integrity of the electoral process while still allowing a pathway to participation for those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the country. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to live and study in the United Kingdom. But gratitude is not the same as belonging. I am a guest in this country, and it is not my place to shape its political destiny. The fact that I could—and did—cast votes in both a general and a local election should concern anyone who cares about democratic legitimacy. 

If democracy is to mean anything, it must reflect the will of the people, not just those passing through.