We have now published our reports on the 5 May 2011 polls. The reports examine how the polls were run, outlining the lessons learnt that provide a basis for making recommendations for the future administration of elections and referendums. In the days following 5 May, we were pleased to find that people were talking about the results of the polls rather than the way in which they were managed.
That is the way it should be, but we cannot take this for granted at future elections.
The experience of 5 May has enabled us to identify important lessons for future polls. We will be asking the Government to review the underlying framework for the management of elections, including the powers that the Commission might need to ensure a consistently high-quality service for voters in the future. While the vast majority of voters were very satisfied with voting on 5 May, we must not be complacent, and each of our reports makes recommendations focusing on putting the voter first.
Referendum on the voting system used to elect MPs to the House of Commons
The 5 May referendum was the first UK-wide referendum since 1975. As Chief Counting Officer, Jenny Watson, the Chair of the Commission was able for the first time to issue instructions and directions to Counting Officers. This allowed her to monitor their performance in real time, ensuring potential risks and issues were addressed ahead of polling day.
Research conducted following the poll indicated that coordinating the management of the referendum in this way delivered significant benefits for voters on 5 May – 85% of voters said that they were confident that the referendum was well run compared to only 69% at the 2010 general election. This greater coordination ensured an appropriate level of consistency and service for voters, and looking forward, could also help to improve the delivery of future elections and referendums, including UK general elections.
National Assembly for Wales general election
Combining the National Assembly for Wales election with the UK-wide referendum on 5 May presented Returning Officers across Wales with a unique challenge in planning and preparing for the polls. However, our research showed that voters in Wales were overwhelmingly positive with the experience – 90% of voters were confident that the election was well run.
The combined polls meant that the coordination and consistency in place for the referendum may have had knock-on benefits for the Assembly elections and may have contributed to the high level of voter satisfaction. However, we recognise that the smooth delivery of the election was somewhat overshadowed by the disqualification of two Assembly Members and we address this in the report.
We also reflect on the timing of the election count, which was a major issue for candidates, political parties, broadcasters and election staff in the run-up to 5 May. We will be asking those with an interest in the timing of the count for their views and we aim to make a recommendation in the first half of 2012.
Northern Ireland Assembly election
In Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland Assembly election was combined with elections to 26 local councils, as well as the UK-wide referendum. While polling day was largely managed successfully, the Assembly and referendum counts were widely criticised by candidates and by the media for being too slow. Our report identified poor planning, insufficient communication and the lack of an overall management plan for the count as some of the reasons for the delays occurring.
Despite lower levels of turnout, this poll saw the highest number of people registered to vote in Northern Ireland since the introduction of individual electoral registration in 2002. Over 11,000 new names were added to the electoral register and over 5,600 people updated their details in the run-up to polling day. This increase was largely the result of a direction from Jenny, as Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, to issue polls cards earlier.
Scottish Parliament election
The Scottish Parliament election, combined with the UK-wide referendum, was seen as a real test for electoral administration in Scotland following the high-profile problems experienced at the election in 2007. Our report found that there had been significant improvements in the coordination of the election and in the development of voter-friendly election materials, including ballot papers.
Our research found that nearly all voters (97%) found it easy to fill in the Scottish Parliamentary ballots, compared to only 82% in 2007. Meanwhile, the level of spoilt ballots fell almost ten-fold compared to the 2007 election with 0.42% of constituency ballots and 0.34% of regional list ballots counted as spoilt in 2011, compared to 4.08% and 2.88% respectively in 2007.
The creation of an Electoral Management Board (EMB) for Scotland to coordinate the work of Returning Officers contributed to greater consistency and coordination for the elections. We call for the EMB to be recognised in statute for all elections in Scotland.
Read all of our reports on 5 May 2011 polls >
This article originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of the register, our quarterly newsletter.
