The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the electoral system, ensuring the integrity of elections and the legitimacy of their results.

In its broadest sense we work to regulate the electoral system. During the lifetime of this Corporate Plan, our core work will continue to support voters, political parties, campaigners, the wider regulated community, and local electoral services teams.

This will include fulfilling our statutory duty to report on whether elections are well-run, making recommendations that would improve future elections.

The Electoral Commission at a glance

Our vision is...

A fair democracy fit for the future.

Our motivation

For the voter. Voters are at the heart of our democracy and central to our work. Everything we do is to help people trust, value and take part in elections.

Our values

Including everyone 

We are committed to removing barriers in the electoral system, and lead by example. We put voters first and aim to be accessible to all. 

Expert impact 

We’re independent and politically impartial, using data to advise, inform, and drive progress. We provide clear insight that supports decision-making. 

Open and engaging 

We instil trust through our clear communication and our approachable and passionate people. Responsible, proportionate and fair, our words are backed by action. 

Connected in ambition 

We are a team player, supporting and working with others to deliver the best for voters and candidates. We are proactive and constructive with those we regulate.

Our priorities

Our priorities for the next five years are informed by past experiences, and our understanding of current and future challenges. We’ve drawn on insights, data and evidence from our core work, and have listened to our broad network of stakeholders. These insights and conversations have shaped the following five priorities: 

  1. Supporting voters and increasing participation 
  2. Modernising the electoral system 
  3. Safeguarding and protecting the system 
  4. Leading an informed debate about the future of elections 
  5. Strengthening the Electoral Commission

Responsibilities and accountabilities

We have UK-wide responsibilities, and are accountable to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. The Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission considers this plan before it is laid in the UK Parliament. We will develop a separate plan for Wales, which will be laid in the Senedd in 2026/27. If the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill is granted Royal Assent, we will develop a separate plan for Scotland, which will be laid in the Scottish Parliament in 2026/27.

Our core work

Voters

  • We will work to give voters confidence that elections are free, fair and well administered, and that political finance laws are upheld. We will raise public awareness of how the electoral system works, with the aim of giving voters the knowledge they require to engage with the democratic process with confidence. We will run public awareness campaigns to encourage people to register to vote, to raise awareness of the voter ID requirement and to combat fraud. 
  • We will take an evidence-based approach to understanding the issues under-reached and under-registered groups encounter. 
  • Working with Democracy Club and local councils we will continue to provide postcode specific election information to enable voters to find out which elections are taking place, who is standing, and where to vote. This service is currently provided by Democracy Club, and we plan to bring it in-house during the period of this Corporate Plan to ensure its sustainability and achieve greater value for money. We will work with civil society organisations and local councils to support under-registered and under-reached groups. 
  • We will continue to seek the removal of barriers that deter people from registering or casting their vote. Some people are either excluded or exclude themselves, and we will continue to advocate for improvements to the system to ensure it works for every voter. 
  • We will pursue recommendations made following the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election, including the reform of postal and overseas voting systems, and work to ensure the accessibility of the voter ID requirement.

Political parties, campaigners and the wider regulated community

  • We will manage the registration of political parties and non-party campaigners, maintaining the statutory registers. 
  • We will work to achieve high levels of compliance and transparency in the reporting of campaign finance and digital imprints, taking appropriate regulatory or enforcement action when necessary. 
  • We will work with police forces and other agencies to protect the integrity of elections, monitoring and mitigating threats and risks. 
  • We will use research, monitoring and evaluation to provide evidence and understanding of key issues, and use this to inform our own regulatory priorities and those of others, including governments and other regulators. 
  • We will provide statutory guidance to candidates and political parties, supporting them to stand for election and set out clear political views for voters to choose from. We will pursue our recommendation made following the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election that requirements and checks for nominating candidates should be strengthened, making it harder for candidates to mislead voters about their true identity.

Local electoral services teams 

  • In partnership with local electoral services teams, we will work to ensure the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums. 
  • We will set, monitor and report on performance standards for Returning Officers (ROs) to ensure that high standards are consistently met. 
  • We will provide evidence and insights to the UK’s governments to inform future improvement to the electoral system, with the aim of supporting local authorities to fulfil their crucial role. We will use our statutory power to provide guidance to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) to support them to deliver well-run electoral services.
  • We will continue to support electoral administrators to adapt to the increasingly diverse approach to the way elections are delivered, brought about by devolution and the changing needs of voters. 
  • We will pursue recommendations made following the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election that awareness of the accessibility support at polling stations should be more widely publicised, including on poll cards and via local authority websites.

Underpinning this work 

We seek to maintain a well-run organisation, supported by the reliable infrastructure required to deliver our core work. We will continue to work to ensure all activity represents value for money. We will increasingly use data and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to support effective ways of working. We will continue to learn from our experience, seek continuous improvement and become more efficient and effective.

We will continue to professionalise our workforce – recruiting, retaining and developing the skills of our team – and to ensure that our workforce is reflective of the wide range of communities we exist to serve. We will embed our core values, creating a vibrant, inclusive, diverse, performance-driven culture which enables all our staff to succeed. This will also ensure we are serving the needs of every participant in the electoral system. We are proud signatories to the Race at Work Charter and the Disability Confident Scheme, and will continue to identify new opportunities to deliver on our diversity commitments. 

Northern Ireland

This Corporate Plan sets out our work funded by the UK Parliament. This includes our work in Northern Ireland, including preparations for the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland local government elections scheduled to take place in May 2027. During the lifetime of this Corporate Plan, we will continue to provide support to voters, political parties, campaigners, the wider regulated community, and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI). In addition to implementing the standards relating to the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, there are a number of challenges specific to Northern Ireland which we also aim to address. 

At least once every 10 years the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland must by law carry out a canvass requiring all those eligible to apply to register to vote, even if they are already registered. The current process faces significant challenges, not least due to the resources required to contact all eligible voters, even when their details have not changed. Working with EONI we will continue to stress the need for process reform well in advance of the required 2030 canvass. We aim to enhance the accuracy and completeness of the electoral register, which is crucial to maintaining the integrity of elections in Northern Ireland.

Voters in Northern Ireland receive a Digital Registration Number (DRN) when they first register to vote online. EONI uses this unique number to check the identity of voters when they apply for either a postal or proxy vote. While processes have recently been simplified, we remain concerned that some voters continue to experience barriers to access. We will continue to work with EONI to ensure the DRN process is accessible for every voter, and will run targeted public awareness campaigns to inform under-reached and under-registered groups. We will continue to make the case for a broader review of the absent voting process in Northern Ireland.

Vacancies in the Northern Ireland Assembly and 11 local councils are filled through a process called ‘co-option’. Instead of holding a by-election, the nominating officer of a political party fills the vacancy created by the resignation or death of one of their members. This is because these elections use the Single Transferable Vote system, so co-option is in place to ensure that the preference of electors at the previous election continues to be reflected. We are concerned that co-option removes democratic choice from voters and reduces transparency.

This issue is likely to be exacerbated in 2027 when both the Assembly and local government elections are scheduled to take place. A ‘substitution list’ provided by candidates at the time of nomination may be one possible solution to this issue. Ahead of the 2027 elections, we will engage with the UK Government and political parties to maintain integrity and confidence in the electoral process.

Ultimately, we want to ensure there is greater consistency between electoral processes in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, with differences only in place for good reason, or in light of the unique political circumstances of Northern Ireland. There are things we can learn from processes on both sides of the Irish Sea, but the aim is to ensure every voter can participate in elections regardless of location.