When registered, expatriate voters were eligible to vote by proxy at any Parliamentary or European Parliament elections which were held after the 1987 register came into force on 16 February 1987.

It was estimated that half-a-million British expatriates were enfranchised by the Act.

[1] The Act also made British people abroad on holiday eligible to vote by postal ballot or by proxy, as well as those who were not reasonably expected to be able to by being physically present at the polling station.

[citation needed] The Act modified the rules concerning deposits in Parliamentary elections.

The percentage of votes needed to retain the deposit was lowered from 12½% to 5%.