Electoral Registration – Report Summary

Summary

Elections are the cornerstone of democracy and voting in elections is a fundamental right owed to many individuals. However, the current state of the electoral registration system, which governs local elections in England and UK general elections, is in need of urgent review. There have been stark warnings from many of those involved in the electoral registration system in the UK -- including the Electoral Commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators -- who have said the current system is not effective nor efficient. This is deeply concerning as the next UK general election is expected later this calendar year.

Recently, the Election Act 2022 imposed new changes on the electoral registration system for the May 2023 local elections, such as voter ID and the use of Voter Authentication Certificates. There were notable issues with the practical implementation of these new changes associated with, for example, individuals without the right ID being prevented from voting and only a limited number of forms of ID being permitted. The Government must address these fundamental issues and ensure that the acceptable forms of voter ID are expanded to ensure individuals are not disenfranchised from voting at the next UK general election and future elections.

More widely, there has been strong concern that the remaining provisions of the Elections Act 2022 will be collectively a bigger challenge to implement than voter ID has been. In particular, there is no sign of when the Government will bring forward the necessary secondary legislation and the detailed guidance. Moreover, to ensure that the electoral registration system is not overwhelmed at the next UK general election, the Government must do its upmost to observe the Gould principle which states that an election is not held within six months of an introduction of a change.

There is also worry that event led registration, a surge of applications in the pre-election period when voting is at the forefront of voters’ minds, causes immense pressure on the electoral registration system. This is a particular issue for the electoral registration officers who have already reported a loss of staff with the resulting loss of expertise due to the current strains within the electoral registration system. It is unclear how under resourced and strained electoral registration officers will be able to effectively manage the 3.4 million British Citizens, who live overseas, who will now be able register.

Consequently, to avoid problems associated with event led registration, the Electoral Commission along with other parts of government (such as the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency or HM Passport Office) need to find ways to signpost voters to register to vote or to update their data on the electoral registers at the earliest opportunity. Moreover, these organisations can support a semi-automatic form of voter registration by sharing the information, provided to them by consenting individuals, with electoral registration officers who can then take the necessary action. Furthermore, there should be a review into whether these organisations should require individuals to be on the electoral register, taking into account of those with transient lifestyles and the speed and effectiveness of the registration process.

In the longer-term, there should be a concerted effort to encourage young people to vote; educate them about the importance of voting via educational institutions; and register them to vote. There is an existing foundation for doing this including, for example, that all sixteen-year-olds are sent National Insurance Numbers: this could be an opportunity to signpost young people to register to vote and to educate them on how to register.

The increasing use of signposting and data sharing by the Government should be the first steps towards the ultimate aim of an opt in automated voter registration system. In order to support this the Electoral Commission must set out a detailed plan including milestones and dates for moving towards implementing automated voter registration. In the meantime, the Electoral Commission should also research the possibility of moving to single unique identifiers such as the use of National Insurance numbers for citizens registered to vote as a first step towards a single national register for England.

Elections promote civic engagement and participation. Being registered empowers individuals to actively engage in shaping governance. Electoral registration is the linchpin of democracy because, unless a person is registered to vote, they cannot play their part. Without a fully functioning robust system we have concerns about the future operation of our democracy.