Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning,
Local Government and the Regions - Joint First Report

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Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 16 March 2005.

CONTENTS

Terms of Reference

REPORT

SUMMARY

1  INTRODUCTION

Electoral registration in the United Kingdom

2  INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION

Principles of electoral registration systems

Individual registration and household registration

Individual registration in other countries

Northern Ireland

Lessons to be learnt from other countries

The need for change in Great Britain

Arguments in favour of individual registration

The principle

Other advantages

Arguments against individual registration

Administrative objections

Impact on participation rates

Government policy on individual registration

Options for electoral registration in Great Britain

3  ENCOURAGING REGISTRATION

The problem of non-registration

Compilation of the register

Notification by electors and data-sharing

Deadline for registration

Compulsory registration and incentives

Educational strategies and public awareness

The role of Electoral Registration Officers in promoting registration

Groups with special interests

Service voters

Overseas voters

4  PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS AND SECURITY

Identifiers required at registration

Unique registration numbers

Security issues

Form of names on the register

5  ELECTRONIC FORMS OF REGISTRATION

6  DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL REGISTER

The CORE project

7  ACCESS TO THE REGISTER

Data protection and access to the register

Access to the marked register

Anonymous registration

8  ROLE OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

The Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

The Electoral Commission

9  CONCLUSION

Conclusions and recommendations

APPENDIX ONE: INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

California

APPENDIX TWO: NOTE BY CLIVE BETTS MP OF INTERVIEW WITH SHEFFIELD ELECTORAL REGISTRATION OFFICER, EIRWEN EVES

FORMAL MINUTES

WITNESSES

LIST OF SUPPLEMENTARY WRITTEN EVIDENCE



MINUTES OF EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 243-II)


WRITTEN EVIDENCE - VOLUME II (HC 243-II)

ORAL AND WRITTEN EVIDENCE - VOLUME III (HC 243-III)

Tuesday 25 January 2005
Tuesday 1 February 2005
Monday 7 February 2005

WRITTEN EVIDENCE

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Prepared 24 March 2005