As (almost) everybody knows by now, if you are on Op HERRICK at the time of the forthcoming General Election, or stationed at some other BFPO location or resident there with a serving spouse or partner, as a service voter you have the choice of a PROXY or POSTAL vote. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, already much discussed on ARRSE.

For future elections, would you use some form of electronic voting if it was available? Would you use electronic voting in preference to proxy or postal voting? Please use the poll to indicate your preferred method of voting if the choice was available.

Perhaps you have your own ideas on remote voting methods, in which case do fire away, but the main effort is to find out gut feelings on electronic voting.

Questions about electronic voting and how it might work would be welcome, as are your views for or against.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is an urgent RFI. I'd really appreciate max polling and discussion by midnight Sunday 07 Feb, although the poll will continue beyond that. My thanks to ARRSE, as always, for its role in this non-politically-partisan campaign - BAFF, ARRSE and the Service Voting campaign of 2005

yours, D.Y. (BAFF)

Although targeted at the military, I would like electronic [with safeguards - ie, a unique voting number] to be extended to all eligible voters residing outside of the country [like me!]
As I suspect most people living abroad would not vote for the present incumbents then I think this will wither in the long grass.
As a point of interest, would electronic voting require an act of parliament?

I and my team received the papers for the 1970's referendum on the EU membership delivered to a remote jungle location all those years ago and they were returned on time. I would have though that in this modern day and age there should be no problems with ensuring those that have the vote....................... can. [and should]

Originally Posted by exile1

I and my team received the papers for the 1970's referendum on the EU membership delivered to a remote jungle location all those years ago and they were returned on time. I would have though that in this modern day and age there should be no problems with ensuring those that have the vote....................... can. [and should]

Rings a bell... I think you were quoted in Silence in the Ranks. Keep going... you could find a place in the next edition! ;)

Originally Posted by exile1

Although targeted at the military, I would like electronic [with safeguards - ie, a unique voting number] to be extended to all eligible voters residing outside of the country [like me!]
As I suspect most people living abroad would not vote for the present incumbents then I think this will wither in the long grass.
As a point of interest, would electronic voting require an act of parliament?

Tricky one this. If you have moved away and don't plan to come back, then should you have the vote? If you are overseas for a specific period (i.e. a tour or working offshore for a fixed period) then I can understand this.

You could otherwise end up with the ludicrous situation where the chavpensioners on the Costa Del Sol are simply voting for the party that will allow them to get free UK healthcare and do this by closing schools / getting rid of police etc. for the next generation.

Thanks for points. Another related BAFF link:

Electronic voting for service voters

Bazzinho1977, I exiled myself when Labour came to power, and If one pays UK tax [like I and the majority of ex service pensioners abroad do], incidentally whilst taking proportionally very little from the 'welfare' pot, and therefore allowing the residents of the UK more] then it matters not how many years abroad .................. If one is a British citizen then one is only allowed to vote in national elections in the UK and not in the country of residence..... No taxation without representation ...........now where have I heard that before?

Originally Posted by exile1

Bazzinho1977, I exiled myself when Labour came to power, and If one pays UK tax [like I and the majority of ex service pensioners abroad do], incidentally whilst taking proportionally very little from the 'welfare' pot, and therefore allowing the residents of the UK more] then it matters not how many years abroad .................. If one is a British citizen then one is only allowed to vote in national elections in the UK and not in the country of residence..... No taxation without representation ...........now where have I heard that before?

You have heard it before because that is what caused them uppity yanks to team up with the dastardly French (and, I don't doubt it, Mel Gibson) and kick us off our own land.

But paying tax is not the only condition for getting a vote - otherwise every visitor who paid VAT would get a vote and every ltd company would get a vote. And then would they get a vote in proportion to the tax they pay?

It is one of the conditions for paying taxes. There must be others as well - do you get what I mean. I am not having a pop here by the way - I just think that (although not expressing it very well) no country needs people who have no "skin in the game" lobbing over their own random views on how things should be run when they don't impact them.

You know - a bit like Scottish MPs voting on the NHS and Student Loans, for example.

Electronic voting for armed forces personnel is very topical right now across the pond. A very recent New York Times editorial argues that the interenet has an important role to play in facilitating overseas military voting by providing forms and information, even the ballot forms themselves, but that the technology is not yet adequate to be used for returning the completed ballots to the States.

BAFF link: Internet voting, still in infancy, says US newspaper

What do you think?

Don't forget to vote in OUR poll once your mind is made up!

Bazzinho1977 ..... let me put it another way...... Having been born in the UK, served in it's armed forces for 27 years and a further 13 in another government organisation, always paid and am still paying my taxes, feel I have earned as much right to vote as you or anyone else. I certainly would not give the NATIONAL vote to anyone, [Irish et al.,] who lives in the UK who is not British. That's it from me on this particular topic as I don't think I have anything to prove and I don't want to move the tread away from its focus.