Our electoral system is underpinned by a legal framework which establishes how elections are delivered. It sets out who is allowed to vote and the various ways they can cast their vote.

The framework sets out who can stand for election, who can campaign and how much they can spend, and it sets out how electoral administrators should deliver elections, including counting and declaring the results.

Given its cross-cutting impact, we want to work with parliamentarians and governments to improve electoral law so that it is fit for purpose; reduces complexity, inefficiency and risk; and enables innovation. We are working with others to reform electoral law by:

  • Supporting effective consideration and implementation of legislation in the UK’s parliaments
  • Engaging with governments’ electoral law reform agendas to ensure that reforms are well-planned and well-implemented
  • Providing expert advice on the practicability and impact of any changes which could be made to improve the electoral system
  • Making the case for future reforms, based on clear evidence of stakeholder views and needs, and of the benefits that proposed changes would deliver.

Work done to achieve this aim

  • We continued to make the case to the UK’s governments and parliaments to reform electoral law to make it less complex, and to reduce the inefficiencies and risks to our electoral system.
  • We supported parliamentarians to consider a range of issues relating to the democratic process, including legislative change. We provided written briefings, one-to-one and group briefings, and gave evidence to parliamentary select committees.
  • Following the May 2023 elections in Northern Ireland, we made recommendations on the digital registration number, which is continuing to cause issues for those wanting to vote by post or proxy. In England, we made specific recommendations to the UK Government for improving the accessibility of the voter ID requirement.
  • We put forward policy proposals for improvements to electoral law and political finance regulation for parties to consider as they develop their agendas ahead of a UK general election.
  • We reported on recall petitions and by-elections, advocating for improvements to the process.
  • As the final tranche of Elections Act measures went through UK Parliament, we reviewed and advised on the statutory instruments to ensure they were as clear and effective as possible.
  • We also submitted evidence to the Levelling Up Committee’s enquiry on electoral registration, providing recommendations on modernising the system through more automated processes to improve the accuracy and completeness of the registers. 
  • We provided oral and written evidence to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy inquiry into ‘Defending Democracy’. Our evidence highlighted important issues which those involved in ensuring the integrity of elections need to monitor and address, such as candidates experiencing abuse and intimidation, and concerns about the transparency and accuracy of political campaigning, particularly online.

Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and yet we are burdened by a system which is both ineffective and inefficient, where millions of people are disenfranchised because they are incorrectly registered or not on the electoral register.
 

Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee

Performance indicators

IndicatorTarget2023-24
Timely publication of election / referendum reports100%100%
Timely responses to policy proposals and legislative consultations100%100%
Responses to elected stakeholder (MP, MSP, MLA & MS) correspondence within 10 working days100%98.44%

Ongoing and future work to achieve this aim

  • Continue to make the case for electoral reform, including with parties and a new UK Government and Parliament, to ensure they understand the challenges facing the current system and the opportunities for improvement.
  • Support parliamentarians to consider reforms to the electoral system, including through briefings and meetings. 
  • Report on future elections, by-elections and recall petitions, making recommendations on the system as appropriate.
  • Review the implementation of measures from the Elections Act and make recommendations as needed.