Financial implications of the Bill
703 The financial implications arising from the Bill are likely to include the following:
a. Voter Identification, postal and proxy voting, assistance for voters with disabilities - new funding to local authorities will be required to enable them to:
i. Provide training, administer applications for and produce local Voter Cards for electors who do not have one of the accepted forms of photographic identification;
ii. Implement the new rules on postal and proxy voting;
iii. Enable Returning Officers to comply with their expanded responsibilities to provide the necessary equipment to make it easier for people with disabilities to vote.
b. Registration of overseas electors - new funding to local authorities will be required to enable them to administer applications from eligible British citizens living overseas to be registered to vote in relevant elections in the UK.
c. EU voting and candidacy rights - new funding to local authorities will be required to enable them to implement the new rules on EU voting and candidacy rights.
704 The Impact Assessment for this Bill has not yet identified any monetizable costs to Government departments relating to these parts of the Bill: undue influence, oversight and functions of the Electoral Commission, registration of parties, regulation of expenditure, disqualification of offenders from holding elective office, and simple majority voting system for PCC and mayoral elections.
705 Further information on the Bill’s financial implications will be available when the Spending Review relating to April 2022 and beyond is in place.