Peter
Viggers, Conservative MP for Gosport, took part today in
a debate in the House of Commons (Westminster Hall) on the
subject of Registration of Service Voters. He pointed out
the alarming fact that in the Borough of Gosport the number
of service personnel registered as service voters has fallen
from 4,370 in 2002 to 474 today. He explained:
“This dramatic
reduction results from the Representation of the People
Act 2000 which changed the way that service
personnel register to vote. Previously they registered as
service personnel and were placed indefinitely on a separate
register. Now their names appear on the ordinary register
and they need to re-register every year. We do not know how
many service personnel have lost their right to vote, but
research by Andrew Tyrie, Member of Parliament for Chichester,
seems to indicate that about half of service personnel are
now unregistered.
In my speech today I urged the Ministry of Defence to work
with the Electoral Commission in taking urgent steps to improve
registration. It is the duty of the Electoral Registration
Officer in every constituency to maintain the register and
I believe that every ERO should make contact with the Commanding
Officer of each service establishment in order to circulate
postal voting forms, proxy voting forms and a reply paid
envelope in every case.
Clearly the change
of law in 2000 had the unfortunate and unexpected result
of reducing service registration very substantially,
and it would be absolutely wrong for service men and women
and their families to be disenfranchised through oversight.” |
