CHANGES will be made to voting rights for soldiers after a Wiltshire-based charity said military personnel were being denied their democratic right.

After the Army Families Federation (AFF) complained to North Swindon MP and Justice Minister Michael Wills a working group was set up to look into the issue.

The federation, based in Pewsey, said those in conflict zones find it virtually impossible to get ballot papers and then return them.

It has rejected the proxy vote system, where a voter can choose someone else to go to the ballot box for them, as unworkable. .

Federation spokeswoman Julie McCarthy said: “The biggest problem we have is the voting process.

“There are 11 days between someone submitting their name and the papers being printed and the day that they have to be returned to the polling station.

“The ballot paper would have to leave Swindon, for example, be transported to Helmand Province and back in 11 days.

“There just aren’t the aircraft or the ability to do that. It’s the same for serving troops in Germany.

“It affects all service voters and their families.”

Mr Wills said he has been looking into the issue for sometime and has promised that changes will be put in place, although not in time for the next general election.

He said: “We have got to do better and that is why I have set up a working group to look into this matter.

“Clearly people are uncomfortable with proxy voting so we have to look at other areas.

“The obvious solution is electronic voting but there are a number of issues that we have to resolve.

“It has to be secure, cost-effective and it is going to need primary legislation.

“The problem is that there is limited time before the next general election.”

But Mr Wills said there is still scope for a certain amount of change before next year’s elections.

The working party that he has set up will report back with recommendations by March.