Memorandum submitted by Department for
Constitutional Affairs
Thank you for your letter of 26 October
concerning the issue of Armed Services Registration. You referred
to the remarks I made in evidence at the CASC hearing and those
made by Harriet Harman MP in the debate on the Second Reading
of the Electoral Administration Bill. I am pleased to provide
you with the information you request.
Prior to 2001, service personnel could only
register by a "service declaration", which meant that
they were registered on joining the armed forces at the place
they joined up and remained on the electoral register there indefinitely.
However, the Howarth Working Group (an all-party working group
set up after the 1997 election, chaired by a minister and
also including electoral administrators and others) examined this
system and proposed reform. They concluded that the old system
was characterised by low take-up and left to service voters becoming
disassociated with the areas in which they were registered and
therefore less inclined to vote. The Working Group also pointed
out that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) faced problems
in identifying and communicating with service personnel, both
throughout their careers and after they left the services. This
led to many service declarations not being amended or revoked
when the recipient moved on or left the armed forces. The consequent
inaccuracies in the Electoral Register (so-called "dead wood")
increased the likelihood of electoral fraud and unjustifiably
inflated the electoral registers in those areas.
The recommendations of the Howarth Working group
led to a reform of the registration arrangements for members of
the Armed Forces in the Representation of the People Act 2000,
which was introduced with all-party support. Since then service
personnel have been given the choice of registering as ordinary
voters at their home address (or at another qualifying address
such as a barracks), or continuing to register via a service declaration,
as before. Under the new arrangements service personnel were asked
to confirm their declaration on an annual basis, and EROs were
required to remind each service voter in writing when this annual
confirmation was needed. EROs therefore now write to each service
voter every year enclosing a simple form for them to sign to confirm
that they wish their service declaration to continue. Service
personnel were therefore put as far as possible on the same footing
as other electors. These reforms were intended to provide more
flexibility for service personnel—giving them a choice about
how they would prefer to register and vote—and thus increase
levels of electoral registration and participation amongst the
services.
I accept, however, that there is anecdotal evidence
that take-up these registrations and voting options amongst service
personnel may still not be as high as we would wish. There are
no reliable data to indicate how many service personnel are not
currently included on electoral registers. This is because, since
they can (and do) register as ordinary electors, it is impossible
to distinguish them from the rest of the electorate. I understand
that Ministry of Defence colleagues intend to conduct surveys
to measure levels of registration among service personnel in the
near future.
Responsibility for communicating with servicemen
and women and their families lies with the Ministry of Defence
and responsibility for publicising voting and the arrangements
for registering to vote lies with the independent Electoral Commission.
They have therefore taken the lead so far in developing strategies
to ensure that service personnel are registered and enabled to
vote. A number of initiatives have emerged from their discussions.
They have jointly produced a leaflet to inform service personnel
of how to register and vote. This leaflet clearly outlines the
different options available to service personnel, including a
service declaration form as well as postal of the armed forces.
I believe these will make the registration process as straightforward
as possible for service personnel, particularly for those who
are posted overseas. I am forwarding you a copy of this leaflet.
In addition to the leaflet, to ensure that service
personnel are aware of the registration and voting procedure,
press releases have been offered to all MoD in-house publications
and full use has being made of MoD and Services internal websites
to draw attention to the need to re-register to vote during the
annual canvass period. Also, in light of concern that families
of service personnel were not always aware of the registration
procedure, they will also be targeted with information during
the campaign.
Furthermore, there is now an obligation for
every service unit to appoint an officer to be responsible for
voting issues for both service personnel and their families, and
to ensure that they are in receipt of the previously mentioned
leaflet. The officer will act as a central contact point both
to provide information to those who seek it, and to press those
who do not to make sure that they complete the relevant forms
and ensure that can exercise their right to vote.
As the department responsible for electoral
law, we have also been involved in various discussions with the
Ministry of Defence and the Electoral Commission on this issue
and will continue with those. We are, of course, open to any suggestions
about reforms to electoral law which could have a positive effect
on registration levels among service personnel and I would be
happy to hear what you and the Committee might propose. I will
of course keep you informed of any developments in relation to
this issue.
Rt Hon Lord Falconer of Thoroton
Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor
30 October 2005
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