Memorandum by The Electoral Commission
(ANN 02)
On behalf of the Electoral Commission, I welcome
the opportunity to provide some further information to the ODPM:
Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee,
following the its inquiry and report on postal voting last year.
The committee has identified two specific questions for further
consideration, which are dealt with below.
Following the results of the referendum in the
North East for a regional assembly and the Government's decision
not to progress with further referendums, is the Electoral Commission
continuing to look at arrangements for future elections using
all postal voting?
In August 2004, the Electoral Commission published
a report on the future of postal voting, including its statutory
evaluation of the June 2004 all-postal voting pilot schemes. The
Commission recommended that all-postal voting should not be pursued
for statutory elections in the United Kingdom, and that there
should be no further piloting of forms of voting that rely overwhelmingly
on the dispatch and return of ballot papers by post. Although
the Commission noted that the convenience of all-postal voting
provided some real benefits in terms of turnout at the June 2004
pilots, the loss of voter choice could have a detrimental effect
on confidence and electoral participation in the long term. Despite
broad satisfaction with the process of all-postal voting in the
pilot areas, it is also clear to the Commission that an appropriate
level of public and political consensus has not been achieved
in relation to all-postal voting.
Nevertheless the Commission
recognises the benefits of postal
voting and continues to see it as an important part of a future
multi-channel approach to voting. We have undertaken to develop
proposals for a new foundation model of voting, which will encompass
both 'remote' and 'in-person' elements of paper based voting.
The foundation model would reflect the positive points of postal
voting, while providing security and confidence that the public
perceive in relation to polling stations. We propose to report
on our proposals for a new model by 31 March 2005.
In its response to the Commission's recommendations
on the future of postal voting, the Government indicated its willingness
to work with the Commission as we develop the foundation model.
However, it also indicated that it will keep an open mind about
the future of all-postal voting until our work on the foundation
model has been published.
The Commission has suggested that pilots of the foundation
model could take place after September 2005, and we would also
support further piloting of genuinely multi-channel elections,
where voters are offered a choice of methods to cast their vote.
Our statutory role in considering new ways of voting
is set out in section 10 of the Representation of the People Act
2000, and we will continue to comment on pilot scheme applications
made by local authorities and to evaluate any pilot schemes which
are approved by the Secretary of State.
Following the Electoral Commission's evaluation
of the Code of Practice [for political parties, candidates
and canvassers on the handling of postal voting applications and
postal ballot papers], how does the Government intend to change
the code of practice?
The Commission held preliminary discussions with
political parties represented at Westminster at its regular meeting
with their representatives in November 2004. The Commission believes
that a consensus is emerging and is this week circulating a revised
draft to all parties represented at Westminster and the Scottish
Parliament and National Assembly for Wales (the Code is not intended
to cover Northern Ireland). We hope to have an agreed version
in place before the English local elections in May. This process
has involved the Commission and the political parties but not
government.
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