Absentee ballots allowing students to vote have been proposed for the new legislative year.

The Throne Speech promise makes good on a pre-election pledge of the One Bermuda Alliance, but the issue goes back more than 15 years.

The argument for absentee ballots gained force after the timing of the 1998 General Election, which swept the Progressive Labour Party to power.

It was part of a raft of political reforms, which included fixed-term elections, backed by the OBA before their victory in 2012.

Extending the vote to registered voters studying overseas at “recognised educational institutions” would strengthen participation and help to build a more inclusive Bermuda, Governor George Fergusson said in yesterday’s speech.

Absentee ballots became the topic of an online campaign on the eve of the last General Election, with the PLP government saying the proposal remained under review, citing the potential for fraud.