Thanks a lot for that, Donny.

The latest development is that the MoD have released the results of the survey into the proportion of personnel who were registered to vote in last year's General Election. This survey has been discussed on ARRSE, with impatience expressed over the delay in releasing the results - especially while the Electoral Administration Bill is going through Parliament. (Expect new developments soon on the Bill.)

The registration survey results were released yesterday to parliamentarians, and I am very glad to confirm that at the same time MOD emailed a copy to me as the rep of YOUR campaign.

These are the figures as reported in today's Daily Telegraph:

New figures released out by the Ministry of Defence yesterday reveal that only 60 per cent of Britain's 202,000 service personnel were registered to vote in the general election, compared with 93 per cent for the overall electorate. But this figure plummeted to 34 per cent among the 48,000 serving overseas at the time.

As a result, only 46 per cent of servicemen and women - or just 28 per cent of those serving overseas - actually voted in the election that returned Tony Blair to power for a third time.

You can be certain that these figures would have been lower still, but for the information given in this very thread on ARRSE. I know this because of the number of members who said at the time that they had registered as a result of the information and non-partisan encouragement which appeared here in the months leading up to the General Election.

Collective pat on back, chaps! Truly.

Link to Telegraph article, with free pic of CO 1 R IRISH, Op Telic!

An excellent article by the Telegraph.

Glad that it's getting more media attention (still not as much as it deserves though!)

Col Tim Collins, the former officer who delivered a rousing address to his troops in Iraq, said: "It's the ultimate irony that the defenders of democracy - men and women who are prepared to give their life to defend democracy - are left in the dark by our government and unable to vote in the general election."

Well done hackle. Does anyone know how many service voters were registered prior to the rules changing and therefore how many were disenfranchised because they did not know about the change and who may have voted if they had been registered under the old system?

Originally Posted by Skynet

Well done hackle. Does anyone know how many service voters were registered prior to the rules changing and therefore how many were disenfranchised because they did not know about the change and who may have voted if they had been registered under the old system?

Thanks Skynet! Yes there are figures available for the numbers of registered "service voters" pre-2001. Defenders of the change to 'annual registration' in 2001 say that the previous figures are not entirely relevant, because they include service voters whose names were on the register, but in practice were unable to vote under that registration because they had moved on without their address being updated on the system.

Our view on this is that the pre-2001 system could and should have been made to work, but it did not work properly because MOD and the Services never properly took it on board and made sure that addresses were updated when personnel or spouses moved.

I am hopeful that the Electoral Administration Bill in its final form will include a compromise arrangement which will, with the necessary ongoing and permanent support from the Ministry of Defence, represent a genuine improvement.

D.Y.

hackle Thank you very much for that. So what is your best estimation, if you have the time, of how many were disenfranchised because of the change in the system? It seems to me that it was a bit of a scandal which was swept under the carpet.

Will get back to you on that, Skynet.

Below is a link to yesterday's Government statement made by Defence minister Lord Grayson in the House of Lords.

Tom Watson, who has replaced Don Touhig as Parliamentary Under-Secretary and Minister for Veterans, made a similar statement in the Commons.

Armed Forces: Voting

Hi everyone. In so far as I have time for 'ARRSE' things today, I will be concentrating on our non-partisan "service voting" campaign which has been part of my life since early 2005. As you know, our hard work, responsible approach and a willingness to approach the authorities in the right way has already achieved significant, historic results.

Today might just be another landmark - the 3rd Reading of the Electoral Administration Bill in the House of Lords. Of course the Bill covers a wide range of provisions, not just about service voting, but there are proposed amendments on that subject and it could come to a vote. Either way I am fairly hopeful that the Bill will be improved to make registration and voting easier for service voters.

I think the debate is due to start about 1530 and I will try to keep one ear tuned to it via the internet and ParliamentLive TV, if it is on. Possibly not ideal light entertainment! Anyway, the outcome will be reported here in due course.

D.Y.

Storyfrom politics.co.uk which links the worrying survey figures with the amendment which the Government are now proposing in respect of the Electoral Administration Bill:

MoD acts on low voter turnout
Tuesday, 06 Jun 2006 13:05

The government has announced changes to the way armed forces personnel can vote after new figures show just a quarter of troops overseas voted in the last election.

A survey from the Defence Analytical Services Agency reveals that just 28 per cent of overseas personnel, and 46 per cent of all troops, cast their ballot last May.

This compares to the UK average of 61 per cent, and comes despite two major campaigns by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) last year to inform people of their democratic rights.

The survey reveals that 40 per cent of armed forces personnel were not even on the electoral roll, and 61 per cent did not realise that to vote through the armed forces, they had to re-register every 12 months.

Under the Representation of the People Act 2000, armed forces personnel are able to register to vote through the services or as civilians, and today's figures show 67 per cent chose the latter route, compared to just 28 per cent who registered as servicemen.

But the act also made it compulsory for those registering through the armed forces to re-register every year, whereas previously a person was registered for the whole of their military career. Opposition MPs have blamed this for the low participation rates.

"This is clear evidence that the government knew there was a problem with voting arrangements for servicemen and women, but did nothing about it," said shadow defence secretary Liam Fox.

“Under Tony Blair, they are more likely to fight and less likely to be able to vote. It is a bitter irony that while troops are out in Iraq and Afghanistan implanting democracy, they cannot exercise those rights themselves."

However, the government has now tabled an amendment to the electoral administration bill, which will receive its second reading in the Lords tomorrow, to ensure servicemen and women need only register every five years.

Lord Garden, defence spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and a former air marshall, said he was delighted at the change of heart.

"It has been an extraordinary battle to make it easier for our armed forces to vote, when they have been risking their lives to secure elections for the peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans," he said....

OK, the uncorrected version of this afternoon's 3rd Reading of the Electoral Administration Bill is now available online and I am starting to have a look at it.

The relevant bit starts HERE (Lords Hansard).

[quote="hackle"]OK, the uncorrected version of this afternoon's 3rd Reading of the Electoral Administration Bill is now available online and I am starting to have a look at it.

The relevant bit starts [[EDIT: that was the temporary link to the day's unorreted transcript. Permanent link will be in a later post]



The transcript mentions ARRSE - and the Federation - and me.