The government has backed the armed forces community by allowing
HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards to be used as Voter ID in
forthcoming elections, while a wider review of the Voter ID
policy takes place to understand its impact on citizens.
Today (15 October), the government has laid a statutory
instrument in Parliament to put the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card
on the list of photographic identifications accepted in polling
stations as voter ID, in addition to the already accepted MOD 90
ID card.
A thorough review of the Voter ID rules is currently underway
with firm proposals on the policy set to be brought forward in
due course. However, while this takes place the government has
taken immediate steps to address gaps in the current provision by
including the Veteran Card on the list of acceptable IDs.
The Veteran Card is a tangible symbol of veterans' service and
its addition to the list will help around two million veterans to
engage in the elections process and exercise their democratic
rights, with these changes set to be made in time for the 2025
local elections in May.
, minister for elections,
said:
“No veteran should be turned away from the polling station while
trying to use their Veteran Card as voter ID. They are an
incredible community who have dedicated their lives to this
country, and it is wrong that the exclusion of this Card has been
a barrier to their ability to vote.
“That's why we're supporting our incredible veterans by expanding
the list of voter identifications to include it so they can
participate in democracy without the fear of being turned away on
election day.”
We stand behind our veterans and today's announcement
demonstrates that we will meet our manifesto commitment to
strengthen support for our armed forces communities.
This government is committed to helping veterans to thrive in
civilian society, and we are continuing to support our armed
forces:
- Within the last month, the government announced that all
UK Armed Forces veterans will be exempt from rules which
require a connection to a local area before accessing social
housing in England.
- In 2021, NHS England launched Op COURAGE - a
dedicated mental health service for veterans, and over 35,000
veterans have used this service to date.
-
Op FORTITUDE, a
housing hotline for veterans, has supported hundreds of
veterans into supported housing with wraparound care.
Veterans are represented by the Secretary of State for Defence in
Cabinet, and cross-government support is coordinated by the
Office for Veterans' Affairs in the MOD.
Minister for People and Veterans, , OBE MC MP said:
“Veterans Cards are a tangible symbol of the extraordinary
sacrifices our veterans have made to defend our nation and it is
only right that the Government gives these cards the recognition
they deserve.
“We are committed to renewing the nation's contract with all
those who serve and have served, and this is an important step to
making this important community feel supported when voting.”
Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British
Legion, said:
“This is good news. Veterans have found it frustrating that they
were unable to use their Armed Forces Veteran Card as voter
identification.
“It is vital that the voice of the Armed Forces community is
heard at every election, now that voter ID is required to vote in
elections in the UK, this change will make it easier for those
who have served to cast their vote.”
This change follows a veteran of the armed forces being turned
away from the local elections earlier this year because they
attempted to use this card at their polling station and were
turned away. This government committed to making sure that
this important community is better supported to participate in
our vibrant democracy.
This government is also making our democracy stronger than it has
ever been and the addition of the Veteran Card is only the first
step in delivering on our commitments to encourage
participation in our elections, and we are taking further action:
- Work has begun to extend the franchise for all UK elections
to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote so that we can empower
young people to take part in our democracy.
- We know there remains a significant number of people missing
from our registers, so we will tackle this unacceptable
participation gap by taking action to improve rates of electoral
registration.
- We will act to protect our democracy from malign actors by
strengthening the rules around donations to political parties.
Today marks a significant step forward on our progress towards
reforming our elections, and we will set out details on these
further measures to widen participation in due course.
Notes to editors:
- The Veteran Card provides recognition of service and ensures
that when needed, public and charitable sector services and
support can be provided to veterans as efficiently as
possible.
- The government has also published ‘Using a veteran card as a
service leaver' guidance page on GOV.UK, detailing how
veterans can use the card to access specialist support and
services: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-a-veteran-card-as-a-service-leaver
- We will continue to explore additional uses and benefits
of the card.
