29 Sep 2008
The Electoral Commission has launched a consultation seeking views on performance standards for Returning Officers (ROs).
The consultation paper outlines a set of seven draft performance standards which assess the management of elections by ROs across Great Britain. The draft standards cover key areas such as planning and organisation, the integrity of the poll and participation.
The launch of the consultation document is the final stage of the Commissions work to develop performance standards for ROs. The performance standards will help the Commission to assess how well elections are run across Great Britain and identify where improvements are needed.
Voters have a reasonable expectation that they will receive a consistently high quality electoral service wherever they live, says Tom Hawthorn, the Electoral Commissions Head of Performance Standards. We believe that these standards will allow Returning Officers to share best practice and ensure support and resources are targeted where they are needed most.
The interests of voters should always come first and these standards will help make the voting experience easier, ensure voters are better informed about how to cast their ballot and provide reassurance that their vote is secure.
Weve used information from a survey of Returning Officers at the May 2008 elections to help draft these standards and they cover not just the management of the poll itself, but access issues that arise as a result of disability or language, the role of Returning Officers in helping to combat fraud and the way Returning Officers communicate with candidates, political parities, the public and other stakeholders.
The more feedback we get from stakeholders, the more we can ensure that the standards are meaningful, appropriate and take account of the challenges faced in different local areas.
The consultation will last for 12 weeks, closing on Friday 19 December 2008. The Commission will review the responses and publish the final performance standards for ROs in February 2009, ahead of the 2009 European Parliamentary and local government elections.
The Commission has also now published a response to our consultation on performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and guidance on completing the standards to all EROs in Great Britain.
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For further information please contact
020 7271 0704
email: press@electoralcommission.org.uk
outside office hours 07789 920414
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 UKs democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections.
2. The Electoral Administration Act 2006 gives the Commission powers to set and monitor performance standards for electoral services. It also allows the Commission to collect information on the costs of electoral services from Electoral Registration Officers, Returning Officers and Referendum Counting Officers.
3. The Commission has consulted on electoral event indicators in autumn 2007 and undertook the first data collection at the scheduled May 2008 elections.
4. The consultation document, along with guidelines for responses, can be found on the Electoral Commission website at http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/elections_referendums
5. Performance standards do not apply in Northern Ireland, or to local government elections in Scotland.
