Board minutes: 16 June 2026

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting. No apologies for absence were received from Commissioners or Executive Team members. There were no conflicts raised regarding items on the agenda for discussion or decision. The Chief Executive notified the Board of a new outside interest as he commenced an unpaid role of Trustee with Sightsavers.

The Chief Executive updated the Board on preparations for the forthcoming all-staff conference, which would celebrate the Commission's 25th anniversary and provide an opportunity to recognise staff contributions.

The Director, Electoral Administration and Regulation provided an update on the three by-elections taking place later in the week. The Commission had been working closely with local teams, and no significant concerns had been identified. Arrangements were in place for observation of polling and count activity. Social media and deepfake monitoring had continued following the polls held in May. While a degree of disinformation and misinformation had been identified, much of it focused on immigration-related issues, volumes remained below the thresholds which would trigger concern for either the Commission or Government. A query was raised regarding differing voter identification requirements in Scotland between the May polls and the forthcoming by‑elections. Members noted the communications activity undertaken by the Commission, political parties and local authorities, and agreed that commentary on voter understanding of these requirements should be included within post‑poll reporting. The Board recognised the significant effort required to prepare for the by‑elections so soon after the May polls.

Action: Director of Policy, Research and Voter Engagement to consider how to reflect on voter understanding of the differing voter identification requirements in Scottish by-elections.

The Director, Policy, Research and Voter Engagement reported on progress of the Representation of the People Bill, which was expected to reach report stage prior to the summer recess. Work continued across the Commission to assess the implications of the Bill's provisions, including recommendations arising from the Rycroft Review relating to cryptocurrency donations and donations from registered overseas electors. The General Counsel and Director of Devolution and Law outlined that concerns remained regarding the impact of proposed changes on political finance arrangements in Northern Ireland and the implications of securing Legislative Consent Memoranda from newly elected devolved administrations. The Board discussed the challenges associated with the proposed implementation timetable and agreed to hold a further substantive discussion at the next meeting. There was agreement that the Commission should identify priority areas for briefing and maintain a realistic assessment of what could be implemented ahead of the May 2028 elections.
The Chief Executive highlighted a range of recent external engagement activity, including a meeting with the Charity Commission on donations from overseas donors to charitable organisations involved in political activities. It was agreed that it would be beneficial for a similar conversation to be held with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Significant progress had been made with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to prepare the infrastructure required to enable eligible Ukrainian citizens in the UK to vote in future Ukrainian elections, should an election be called. A recent Westminster Parliamentary Parties Panel had discussed the recent May polls, draft sponsorship guidance, and the development of the Representation of the People Bill with a focus on the know your donor regime. The Four Countries Conference and Parliament Reception had gone well, and the Chief Executive reflected on the policy areas of similarity and divergence between the UK, New Zealand, Canada and Australia including on donation caps, attitudes to social media and overseas electors. Discussions had been held with the charity Unlock The Vote on the issues experienced by prisoners in voting, and with Prof Sue Clayton of Goldsmiths University who was researching voter identification.

Action: General Counsel and Director of Devolution and Law to arrange a meeting with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland to discuss the regulation of overseas donations to charitable organisations involved in political activity.

Updates were provided on the major projects supporting delivery of the Corporate Plan. A supplier had been appointed for the Political Finance Online project and onboarding activity was underway. Subject to final confirmation of the implementation timetable, the system was expected to go live in August 2027, allowing sufficient time ahead of anticipated legislative change. A political parties communications group had been established to provide updates on progress and support user testing. The Board discussed the importance of maintaining close engagement with political parties throughout development and implementation to ensure the system met user needs and supported a smooth transition.

Evaluations from the first year of partner involvement in the voter education programme were being conducted, with very positive initial findings. The Programme Assurance Board had agreed to additional funding provided to the programme to support the build of a framework to recruit more schools and strengthen the safeguarding offer.

Two research publications would be released in the coming weeks. The annual report on public attitudes to elections and democracy would be released later in the month followed by research conducted into political finance and funding. Both reports would be shared with the Board.

The procurement process for the new Finance system would be re-run to elicit a broader field of suppliers. An independent review had been commissioned to provide assurance on a revised timeline and concluded that it was feasible if the risks were closely managed. The new Procurement system was expected to go live from November with compliments paid to the Procurement team for the transformative approach to contract management in the Commission. 

A programme of organisational design had commenced, initially focused on a limited number of priority areas including strengthening resilience within Corporate Services and ensuring the organisation remained appropriately structured to support future requirements. The Board also noted that the Commission had been shortlisted for two awards at the CIPD People Management Awards 2026, recognising achievements in both public sector HR practice and reward and recognition.

The Chief Executive shared a letter sent to the Scottish Green Party regarding their published press releases raising concerns about the registered name and emblem used by the Independent Green Voice. He confirmed that no response had been received, meetings had been offered and the party had access to established routes of challenge should it wish to pursue the matter further. The Board discussed the role of the Commission on the registration of parties as specified in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act and it was confirmed that registration was renewed annually.

Also shared with the Board was recent correspondence with the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament regarding a request that the Commission undertake an independent review into the funding of political parties. The Commission’s response acknowledged the need to improve the UK’s political finance system to improve voter trust in the system, though noted that such a review would require support of parties, governments and parliaments across the UK.

Resolved: The Board noted the update from the executive.

The Corporate Director presented the Finance and Performance update for the month to April 2026 and the accompanying summary paper. Overall performance remained stable, with the majority of indicators performing as expected. Performance against the target for responding to Freedom of Information requests had improved following the introduction of additional triage arrangements, while Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation had been successfully renewed. Workforce planning activity had commenced to assess the resources required to deliver anticipated responsibilities arising from the Representation of the People Bill. The Board noted that the organisation had now exceeded 300 staff and discussed the importance of ensuring organisational structures and supporting processes continued to develop effectively alongside organisational growth.

The Board queried the requirement to re-open internal audit actions which had been marked as closed. The Board was informed that these actions had been closed prematurely and were re-opened to ensure the full intent of the recommendation had been delivered, with the introduction of tighter internal processes to check there was sufficient evidence that the action had been fully actioned.

The Corporate Director updated the Board on the procurement of a replacement payroll provider, advising that a preferred supplier had been identified and that governance arrangements were in place to support the transition. The Board discussed lessons arising from the current supplier arrangements and the importance of effective contract management. Assurance was provided that oversight of supplier performance had strengthened significantly and that contract management arrangements had been enhanced across the organisation. An update was also provided on discussions regarding an extension to the current finance system contract while longer‑term arrangements were progressed.

It was noted that work was taking place over the summer to consider the key performance indicators (KPIs), particularly those where it is acknowledged that the formation of the measure required amendment. The KPIs would remain the same for the 2026-27 reporting year with the changes coming in from the next financial year.

Resolved: The Board noted the Finance and Performance update and the April 2026 Corporate Performance Report.

The Head of Policy introduced the report on the key messages from the May 2026 elections, which included key data relating to the polls, the experiences of voters, candidates and campaigners and the administration of the election. It also featured an evaluation of the 2026 flexible voting pilot. The Post Poll Report was anticipated to be published in mid-September 2026. The Head of Research presented the summary statistics which supported the report’s analysis. 

Board members questioned the turnout in the flexible voting pilot locations and whether there was evidence of it having an impact on voter engagement. The location of the flexible voting pilots was questioned, noting that participation was voluntary and that the local government reorganisation programme had resulted in a number of areas withdrawing from the pilot. The Commission would be recommending to the government that should further pilot schemes be introduced, that there should be a robust range of areas to support a good evidence base.

It was agreed that further commentary would be added on the delayed announcement of electoral results in some areas, noting that the Commission was working closely with those Returning Officers to understand the context. The performance standards for Returning Officers were discussed, which were under review, and whether it would be beneficial for those indicators to take into account the wider audience of electoral processes.

The Board welcomed the initial analysis of the Welsh polls, noting the significance of the successful delivery of elections which had introduced substantial changes to electoral arrangements. The findings provided encouraging evidence that these changes had been implemented effectively by electoral administrators and did not appear to have caused major issues for voters.

It was agreed that the evolving information environment should feature prominently within the Post Poll Report. This should draw upon both the Commission's own analysis and relevant external evidence to support future recommendations aimed at strengthening confidence and resilience within UK democratic processes.

Resolved: The Board approved the key messages and communication plan for the 2026 flexible voting pilot evaluation. 

Resolved: The Board approved the key messages and communication plan for the reports on the Senedd, Scottish Parliament and English local government elections.

The General Counsel and Director of Devolution and Law introduced the plans and approach to developing Corporate Plans for both Scotland and Wales. She reminded the Board that there was no obligation to produce a Corporate Plan for Northern Ireland, however the initial plans were to produce a document showcasing the work of the Commission in Northern Ireland after the May 2027 elections. The Board commended the teams for their efforts in developing the draft corporate plans in such a short space of time after the polls.

The Scotland and Wales plans would be structured and linked to the core elements of the UK Corporate Plan, noting that the plans would focus on devolved accountabilities, but would necessarily also cover work on the cross-UK activities. There was also a lack of alignment on the dates of these plans as they were being developed a year into the UK Corporate Plan, and the Wales Plan would extend one year beyond the UK Corporate Plan and the Scotland Plan two years beyond it.

It was noted that the key system indicators would likely be set at a UK level and where possible reported on separately for the devolved nations. Discussion would continue with the devolved parliaments on whether key performance indicators could be developed for Scotland and Wales respectively.

Budgeting for 2027/28 had commenced the month prior to help inform the bids due to be submitted to the Senedd and Scottish Parliament at the end of September. The Corporate Director noted that the UK Corporate Plan had included estimates for Scotland and Wales for the 5 year period. He explained that it was anticipated that less funding would be sought from both nations in the next financial year and less again the year after.

The Head of the Electoral Commission, Wales and acting Head of Electoral Commission, Scotland highlighted that the agenda and priorities of the two new governments were still developing, which created a level of challenge in developing the Corporate Plans. The engagement plans outlined the planned approach to liaising with the main stakeholders. The Commissioners for Scotland and Wales provided insight as to the recommended approach to take with the new parliaments and governments, in particular the need for the Commission to be clear on its statutory powers and its priorities, as well as reflecting emerging legislative programmes.

The timetable and sequencing were discussed, noting that the devolved Corporate Plans would be considered by the Board for approval at its September meeting, prior to them being shared with the respective parliaments. The final approval of the Plans was expected by the end of March 2027 to come into effect from April 2027. 

Resolved: The Board noted the draft outline of the devolved Corporate Plans.

Resolved: The Board approved the approach to the key issues in the development of the devolved Corporate Plans for Scotland and Wales and the proposed engagement plans.

The Board noted the written report from the Chair of the People, Culture and Remuneration (PCR) Committee from its meeting on 8 June 2026. The PCR Chair highlighted the key messages for the Board’s attention in a discussion.

The Board noted the written report from the Chair of the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee (ARAC) from its meeting on 8 June 2026. The ARAC Chair highlighted the principal messages arising from the meeting, including discussion of assurance relating to fraud risk management. The Board was satisfied that appropriate governance and oversight arrangements remained in place.

The Board approved the minutes of the Board meeting held on 12 May 2026, noting that they were an accurate record. 

The Board noted the forward plan of business for 2026-27.

The meeting concluded at 4.11 pm with no further business.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 29 June 2026, held online.