VOTE RIGGING
Although Labour have been trying to rig the vote by making it possible for anyone to get hold of anyone’s postal ballot paper, they have adopted a different vote rigging trick so far as Armed Forces are concerned. Labour have seen fit to introduce a new system for service personnel to be able to vote by post.
Military personnel are more likely to vote Conservative.
Those who are overseas cannot vote by ballot box and are completely dependent upon postal votes. Previously, soldiers registered as a service voter when they joined up and would remain on the register until they left. But Labour has changed this and service voters now have to re-register every year. If they do not, then they will lose their right to vote.
To compound matters, the Ministry of Defence just happened to forget to distribute a leaflet telling service personnel of the changes and the new system. Although the leaflets are in the process of being distributed, it is now too late for service personnel who have not already registered to vote.
Half of the Army is currently on duty overseas.
The effect of this has been dramatic. In 2002 there were 140,000 people registered as service voters. By 2003 that figure had dropped to 49,000. In the Gosport constituency there were 4,700 registered as service voters in 2000, but this figure had fallen to only 470 by last year. In Chichester the figure had fallen from 483 to 22 over a five year period.
Labour has also reduced the period that those living abroad can vote from 20 to 15 years. These ex-patriots are also more likely to vote Conservative.
Military personnel are more likely to vote Conservative.
Those who are overseas cannot vote by ballot box and are completely dependent upon postal votes. Previously, soldiers registered as a service voter when they joined up and would remain on the register until they left. But Labour has changed this and service voters now have to re-register every year. If they do not, then they will lose their right to vote.
To compound matters, the Ministry of Defence just happened to forget to distribute a leaflet telling service personnel of the changes and the new system. Although the leaflets are in the process of being distributed, it is now too late for service personnel who have not already registered to vote.
Half of the Army is currently on duty overseas.
The effect of this has been dramatic. In 2002 there were 140,000 people registered as service voters. By 2003 that figure had dropped to 49,000. In the Gosport constituency there were 4,700 registered as service voters in 2000, but this figure had fallen to only 470 by last year. In Chichester the figure had fallen from 483 to 22 over a five year period.
Labour has also reduced the period that those living abroad can vote from 20 to 15 years. These ex-patriots are also more likely to vote Conservative.
posted by erc @ 12:15 am
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