Speakers Committee - Second Report
Here you can browse the report which was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 26 July 2007.
CONTENTS
Terms of Reference
REPORT
SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE SECOND REPORT 2007
APPENDIX: ELECTORAL REGISTRATION: THE
LYNCHPIN OF DEMOCRACY
Recommendations
On using the Commission's new powers:
On improving the completeness of the register:
On improving the accuracy of the register:
On performance measurement:
PART 1: ELECTORAL REGISTRATION IS FUNDAMENTAL
TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
Responsibility for compiling and
maintaining the electoral register in Great Britain rests mainly
with local authorities
Electoral Registration is more challenging
due to societal change and political disengagement
The Electoral Commission has recognised the
importance of electoral registration in setting its corporate
objectives
The challenge facing those responsible for
electoral registration is to ensure that all who are eligible
to vote are on the register, while maintaining its accuracy
This report considers the success of efforts
to tackle non registration and whether controls over registers
are effective
PART 2: WHAT IS BEING DONE TO TACKLE NON-REGISTRATION?
The Commission has carried out statistical
research into patterns of non-registration
Our survey of Electoral Registration Officers
supported the findings of the Commission's work on registration
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 establishes
a duty for Electoral Registration Officers to ensure the registers
are as complete and accurate as possible
Figure 4: Electoral Registration Officers
consider personal canvassing an effective means of increasing
registration
Some groups of non-registrants are particularly
hard to reach
There are a number of barriers to registration
Non-registrants see no benefits to being
registered and are sometimes actively hostile
Stakeholders believed sanctions, such as
fines, may act as a deterrent to people registering
People's understanding of the benefits of
registration or risks of not registering is limited
Electoral Registration Officers we surveyed
felt that the complexity of the registration form and eligibility
rules make it difficult for some people to complete the form.
Our survey of Electoral Registration Officers
found that lack or scarcity of resources is seen by them as a
barrier to fulfilling their role as effectively as they would
like
Electoral Registration Officers can use other
sources of information to find people who are not on the register
and then canvass them but not all are aware of the extent of their
powers
Local authorities' campaigns use both Electoral
Commission and local material
The Commission conducts information campaigns
and provides information to the public
There is little monitoring of the impact
of Electoral Registration Officers on registration locally, and
it is difficult to assess the impact of the Commission nationally
on registration
PART 3: ARE THE CONTROLS OVER ELECTORAL
REGISTRATION EFFECTIVE?
Household registration, and multiple
registers makes checking accuracy difficult
Controls have been strengthened following
concerns over electoral fraud
The perception among Electoral Registration
Officers is that there is little fraud
Lack of research on accuracy makes it difficult
to assess the extent of error and address it
Standard setting and performance measurement
provide an opportunity to address both the completeness and the
accuracy of the register
The Commission has consulted widely as it
develops its performance management framework
Local Authority Visits
Survey of Electoral Registration Officers
Stakeholder Analysis
Northern Ireland visit
Review of existing literature
ANNEX 1 - METHODOLOGY
ANNEX 2 STAKEHOLDERS
ANNEX 3 - THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION'S CORPORATE
OBJECTIVES RELATING TO ELECTORAL REGISTRATION
Objective 2: Complete and accurate electoral
registers and a well-run electoral registration process
ANNEX 4 - ELECTORAL COMMISSION DEFINITIONS
OF "COMPLETE" AND "ACCURATE"
ANNEX 5 - SUMMARY OF KEY LEGISLATION
ANNEX 6 - SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS FROM
ELECTORAL REGISTRATION OFFICERS' SURVEY
Overview of registration
Electoral register and the registration process
Registration campaigns
Resources for registration
ANNEX 7 - THE ELECTORAL REGISTRATION PROCESS
IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES.
ANNEX 8 - THE ELECTORAL REGISTRATION PROCESS
IN NORTHERN IRELAND
ANNEX 10 - COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS IN PUBLIC
LIFE REPORT ON THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
ANNEX 11 - PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT CHECKLISTS
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