News releases

A report published today by the Electoral Commission says that changes must be made to electoral law to make sure that future elections are better run.

Sam Younger, Chairman of the Electoral Commission said: “When we make decisions about how elections are run, we all need to think about the voter’s interests above all else. Elections are the opportunity for citizens to take part in the democratic process and have their say about how we are governed and the services we receive.

“The planning and running of elections need to be more robust and coordinated. We are still trying to run 21^st century elections with 19^th century structures, and the system is under severe strain.

“Ensuring that Returning Officers remain independent, and are reinforced with the leadership, support and direction of the Chair of an Election Management Board, would build on the strengths of the current system. Our proposal is designed to allow local Returning Officers to continue to respond to local circumstances while ensuring that there is a consistently high standard of service for all electors across the UK.”

The report, Electoral Administration in the UK, calls for a series of changes to ensure that the voter is put first when future elections are planned. These recommendations include:

• Establish Electoral Management Boards in Great Britain to provide coordination, leadership and support for elections. The boards should be made up of those running elections in an area, recognised in law and independent.
• Give the Chair of the Electoral Management Board a statutory power to give directions to Returning Officers to ensure that best practice is followed and to keep professional standards high.
• Strengthen the role of Returning Officers to ensure that their operational role in running elections is clearly distinct from the formation of election policy by government, and the performance oversight role of the Electoral Commission.
• Simplify electoral law and address the shortfall in funding for electoral administration that exists across the UK.
• Ensuring that electoral law is finalised six months before any election.
• Consider the financial and practical implications of establishing a professional UK-wide electoral registration service.
• Extend the role of the Electoral Commission to ensure that all those in charge of running elections across the UK report against consistent standards on their performance in running elections, and in encouraging people to register to vote.

The report Electoral Administration in the UK is available on the Electoral Commission website.

The Commission has today also published a report that outlines the Commission’s recommendations on electoral administration in Scotland. This is also available on the Commission’s website.

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For further information contact

The Electoral Commission press office on 0207 271 0704

Out of office hours 07789 920414

Email press@electoralcommission.org.uk

Notes to editors

1. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections.
2. In November 2007, the Commission published its initial response to Ron Gould’s independent report on the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections. In December 2007 we published a status report summarising our views on the key challenges to electoral administration.