Misconception: French military personnel do in fact vote!
✅ Did you know?
Since the ordinance of August 17, 1945, French military personnel have fully enjoyed the right to vote. The question “why can’t military personnel vote?” is based on a persistent misconception. In reality, they COULD vote before 1872, they COULD NOT vote from 1872 to 1945, and they HAVE BEEN ABLE to vote for 80 years.
Why can’t military personnel vote? This is a widespread misconception, but it is false in 2025. French military personnel have been free to vote since 1945, like any other citizen. The confusion stems from a long chapter in French history—a 73-year period during which soldiers were indeed deprived of their right to vote, earning the army the nickname “Grande Muette” (“Silent Majority”).
To understand this fascinating subject, we need to go back to the French Revolution and trace two centuries of turbulent political history. This comprehensive guide explains everything: why military personnel lost the right to vote, how long they were deprived of it, and why they fully possess it today.
The Citizen-Soldier: The Birth of a Right During the Revolution (1792)
It was the French Revolution that gave birth to the concept of the “citizen-soldier.” Before 1789, the army of the Ancien Régime was made up of mercenaries and professional soldiers who had no particular civil rights. The Revolution overturned this model by affirming that every citizen had a duty to defend the homeland and that every defender of the homeland was a full-fledged citizen.
In 1792, military personnel thus gained the right to vote, a first in French history. This principle of the citizen-soldier would reach its peak under the Revolutionary and Napoleonic armies, where a common soldier could theoretically rise to the rank of Marshal of France on merit.
The 1872 Cissey Law: Why Military Personnel Lost the Right to Vote
The turning point came on July 27, 1872, under the fledgling Third Republic. Article 1 of the Cissey Law stated bluntly: “Men serving in the armed forces shall not take part in any vote.” Overnight, hundreds of thousands of soldiers were deprived of their right to vote.
The political reasons behind the Cissey Law
This decision is not insignificant. It can be explained by a highly tense political context. The Republicans who founded the Third Republic had not forgotten that Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte had succeeded in his coup d’état of December 2, 1851, thanks to the army’s support. To them, the army was a suspect electorate, potentially Bonapartist or monarchist. By depriving military personnel of the vote, the Republicans ensured the political neutrality of the military institution and eliminated an electoral bloc whose political leanings they did not control.
The birth of the “Great Mute”
This civic exclusion gave rise to the expression “Great Mute” to refer to the French army. Silent at the ballot box and subject to a strict duty of restraint, the army became an institution outside the political sphere. The laws of 1889, 1905, and 1928 confirmed this exclusion, which persisted through two world wars without being challenged, including after the First World War, when career military personnel had nevertheless amply demonstrated their commitment to the Republic.
Timeline: the right to vote of military personnel in France
Here is the complete overview of the evolution of French military personnel’s right to vote, from the Revolution to the present day.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1792 | French Revolution: military personnel gain the right to vote and the birth of the “citizen-soldier” |
| 1849 | After a brief interruption, military personnel regained the right to vote under the Second Republic |
| July 27, 1872 | Cissey Law: abolition of military personnel’s right to vote and the birth of the “Great Mute” |
| 1889, 1905, 1928 | Successive laws confirming the exclusion of military personnel from universal suffrage |
| August 17, 1945 | Ordinance restoring the right to vote to career military personnel and ending the “Great Mute” |
| July 13, 1972 | General Military Personnel Statute: the right to stand as candidates for elected public office |
| Today | Military personnel vote freely but remain subject to a strict duty of political restraint |
Sources: Wikipedia — Right to vote in France | Ordinance of August 17, 1945 | Defense Code.
1945: Restoration of the right to vote and the end of the “Great Mute”
It was the ordinance of August 17, 1945, signed one year after women had obtained the right to vote, that restored full civic rights to career military personnel. Military personnel were thus among the last French citizens to obtain the right to vote, after 73 years of exclusion.
The irony of history is that the military personnel who had liberated France in 1944–1945 were still, in the aftermath of the Liberation, deprived of the right to vote—a right they had just helped restore for all other French citizens.
The current situation: military personnel vote, but with restrictions
Since 1945, French military personnel have voted freely like any other citizen. However, their special status entails political restrictions that may explain why the confusion persists.
The duty of restraint: imposed political neutrality
Article L4121-3 of the Defense Code is clear: active-duty military personnel are prohibited from joining political groups or associations. This prohibition does not concern voting, which remains an absolute right, but rather active political involvement. A member of the military can vote for whoever they want, but cannot publicly campaign for a party or display their political opinions in uniform.
Can military personnel stand as candidates in elections?
Yes, since the law of July 13, 1972. Military personnel can stand as candidates for any elected public office. If elected, they are placed on detached duty for the duration of their term. In practice, this remains rare because it entails losing their military income, which elected office does not always adequately compensate for.
FAQ: Most frequently asked questions
Can a member of the military vote for the far right or the far left?
Voting is secret and free in France, including for military personnel. A member of the military can vote for any party or candidate without their employer knowing. What they cannot do is join a political party or publicly campaign for a political movement while on active duty. Voting remains a strictly private and protected act.
Can military personnel on OPEX vote from abroad?
Yes. Military personnel deployed on overseas operations (OPEX) can vote by proxy or, in some cases, electronically. Specific provisions are set out in the Electoral Code to allow military personnel deployed abroad to exercise their right to vote in French elections.
Why do people still say that military personnel do not vote?
This misconception persists for two reasons. First, the period from 1872 to 1945 lasted 73 years—long enough to firmly embed the image of the "Grande Muette" in the collective memory. Second, current political restrictions (the ban on campaigning and the duty of restraint) are sometimes confused with a ban on voting, which is not the case.
Conclusion
Why can't military personnel vote? The answer is simple: they can vote, and have been able to since 1945. What is true, however, is that they were deprived of this right for 73 years, from 1872 to 1945, under the Third Republic, which feared the army's political influence. The Cissey Law of 1872 and the nickname "Grande Muette" bear witness to this long democratic hiatus. Today, military personnel vote freely, but remain subject to a strict duty of political restraint that prohibits them from publicly campaigning.
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