YOU can ditch the weather, the queues and the hassle of living in Britain – but don’t ditch your vote.

Brits abroad are being reminded they are still eligible to vote in UK elections – no matter where they are.

The campaign to remind expats they can vote is being spearheaded by the Electoral Commission.

At present, less than 13,500 Brits abroad are on the electoral register – a tiny fraction of the estimated six million expats living abroad.

An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “Many British expats simply don’t realise that they are still eligible to vote in UK elections once they have moved abroad.

“But even if you are living abroad, as long as you have been registered to vote in the UK at some point within the past 15 years, you can still be on the register as an ‘overseas voter’.”

Registered overseas voters are eligible to vote in elections to the UK Parliament and European Parliamentary election.

The European Parliamentary elections take place on 4 June 2009, and a UK Parliamentary election can be called at any time between now and 2010.

To make sure you don’t miss out, visit Aboutmyvote.co.uk/overseas