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.
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.
Alex Norris, 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, Alistair Carns, 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:
- 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.
