Dr. Bennettasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that all members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces are enabled to ascertain that their names are on the new electoral register and are enabled to complete the necessary absent voter and proxy forms.
§ Mr. BirchWhere a Service man has completed a declaration as a Service voter and received an acknowledgment of it from the electoral registration officer his name will automatically be carried forward from one register to the next, unless he wishes to change the address to which the declaration is made, when a fresh declaration will be necessary. Should a Service voter wish to verify that he is duly registered he may write to the electoral registration officer, or ask his proxy (if he has appointed one) or any other person on his behalf to examine the register.
Provision for nominating a proxy is included in the form of declaration as a Service voter. Information on how to obtain absent voter forms is included in the instructions for making the declaration which are promulgated to all Service personnel by pamphlet or official order. Commanding officers are instructed to ensure that declaration forms are available at all times and that every facility is given for their completion and despatch.