Don't want to de-rail your thread Hackle, but in response to Baz's pop:

What other conditions should apply?

Many servicemen did serve most of their careers overseas and chose to remain there afterwards (possibly to work or stay with their wives/families). They retain British Citizenship, have served their countries, paid and continue to pay taxes, often remain liable for reserve service and in some cases continue to serve in the TA and support Service life overseas. Why shouldn't they be given the opportunity to vote?

Most other countries value the votes of their ex-pats, often going to great lengths to ensure they get given a chance. Previous UK governments have also tried harder. It is the current shower seem to have decided to dis-enfranchise ex-pats of all types. It appears to be for purely part political ends.

If I had a choice of an effective secret vote from overseas what method would I choose?
Difficult one for me to answer. The easiest would be to opt for electronic voting, however I don’t think there is a secure method of electronic voting in use yet. It could be several years at huge cost to implement an electronic system and money is tight.

Postal voting works for many countries but they usually allow a reasonable length of time for ballots to be received and returned in time to count. The very tight timescales of our system mean those opting to vote by post from overseas often find they receive postal ballots too late to be returned in time to count.

If blank ballots could be prepositioned at bases throughout the world then that would be a postal vote without the time delay of printing, dispatch, delivery. It works for other countries, would be cheaper and requires less legislation than electronic voting.

I definitely would not choose proxy voting. Other countries facilitate their citizens abroad with secret votes and it is about time our country did too…

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ServiceVotes/

So if I have to tick a box it will be for a postal vote with the caveat that the general election timetable would need to be extended (whether postal ballots were pre-printed with candidate’s names, or blank) for whatever system is eventually decided upon. (Not to detract, but if one group is enfranchised that would be a step in the direction of enfranchising others, as happened in Canada?)

Thanks guys. As you will have worked out, this thread about electronic voting for service voters has not come out of the blue, but is related to current urgent consultations involving the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, Electoral Commission, the Chief Executives of the three Service Family Federations and myself, representing British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF). As already reported, the Government has also been consulting interested MPs on a cross-party basis.

I mention this because I see that the Army Families Federation (AFF) has made an announcement today over on Rear Party - LINK and I confirm that we are talking on the same net.

Please help to spread the word about this thread and poll and also the AFF Voting Survey. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Herrumph

Don't want to de-rail your thread Hackle, but in response to Baz's pop:

What other conditions should apply?

Many servicemen did serve most of their careers overseas and chose to remain there afterwards (possibly to work or stay with their wives/families). They retain British Citizenship, have served their countries, paid and continue to pay taxes, often remain liable for reserve service and in some cases continue to serve in the TA and support Service life overseas. Why shouldn't they be given the opportunity to vote?

Most other countries value the votes of their ex-pats, often going to great lengths to ensure they get given a chance. Previous UK governments have also tried harder. It is the current shower seem to have decided to dis-enfranchise ex-pats of all types. It appears to be for purely part political ends.

Sorry - I am with you. Rather than derail the thread I had responded to exile1s point in a PM. However, as it affects servicemen, I will stick on.

So my personal feeling is this - for people to have a vote they must

1. Pay taxes (this is a necessary condition)
2. Be a citizen (i.e. feel that they belong to that country)
3. Probably, not have the same rights in any other country.

So for ex-servicemen living overseas, they would certainly pass number 1. For number 2 they could show that the fact they have served their country. For number 3, most of them (I would imagine) don't have voting rights in other countries.

(This has all sorts of other consequences for other ex-pats, I know).

I'd say a secret paper ballot system as in the UK but with some staff officer/SNCO acting as the returning officer at each camp/FOB

Bump.... because I'm surprised at the apathy with only 6 votes cast.

What do you expect? To be fair, there isn't anyone on most people's ballot papers worth voting for. Still, I take the view 'Left Alternative where you can, Labour where you must'.

Originally Posted by kollontai

What do you expect? To be fair, there isn't anyone on most people's ballot papers worth voting for. Still, I take the view 'Left Alternative where you can, Labour where you must'.

Is there a difference between the right and left nowadays? Bear in mind even the most left wing have let their people down and decided cash is the best form of socialism. Tommy S anyone?

I'm entitled to cast my vote under a secret ballot but, as conditions currently are, I am compelled to vote by proxy. This is wrong and effectively deprives me of my constitutional rights for the benefit of political game-playing.

Either change the law so that the date for intended elections allow prope time for postal balloting or set up an electronic system.

Originally Posted by kollontai

What do you expect? To be fair, there isn't anyone on most people's ballot papers worth voting for. Still, I take the view 'Left Alternative where you can, Labour where you must'.

You're still trying to work out who Tommy is, aint you.