Corporate Plan for Wales 2022/23 to 2026/27

1. The electoral system in Wales

Section 1 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

2. The Electoral Commission in Wales

Section 2 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

3. Putting voters first in Wales

Section 3 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

4. Supporting and securing campaigner compliance with the law in Wales

Section 4 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

5. Supporting local electoral services delivery and resilience in Wales

Section 5 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

6. Making sure electoral law is fair and effective in Wales

Section 6 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan

7. A modern and sustainable electoral system in Wales

Section 7 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

8. Underpinning this work in Wales

Section 8 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

9. Managing our costs in Wales

Section 9 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

10. Measuring our performance in Wales

Section 10 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

11. Managing risks and opportunities in Wales

Section 11 of our 2022/23 to 2026/27 corporate plan for Wales

Foreword

This five-year Corporate Plan has been prepared and is submitted pursuant to paragraph 16B of Schedule 1 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It covers the Electoral Commission’s activities in Wales for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and replaces and develops our interim plan put in place after the December 2019 UK general election.

The Electoral Commission works independent from governments to promote public confidence in the electoral system, ensuring the integrity of elections and the legitimacy of their results. We aim to deliver our responsibilities impartially, ensuring independence of thinking and decision making that can be trusted.

We have UK wide responsibilities, are accountable to the UK Parliament, the Senedd and the Scottish Parliament, and our work is directed to meeting the needs of each of the four parts of the UK. 

Our statutory responsibilities are integral to the electoral system – whether regulating political finance laws; providing oversight, guidance, or support on the delivery of elections; supporting voters to engage with the democratic process with confidence; or providing evidence and insights to inform future improvement. Working with others, we constantly strive to improve the electoral system for the benefit of voters, campaigners and electoral administrators.

Elections in both Wales and the UK as a whole are well-run. Our survey work shows very high levels of public satisfaction in the processes in place for voters to register and cast their votes. We also have one of the most transparent systems of political finance in the world. However, there are pressures on the whole electoral system which need our attention.

We will continue to seek to remove barriers that deter people from registering or casting their vote. Alongside our ongoing activities to encourage voter registration and protect against electoral fraud, we will work to retain voter confidence in political campaigning as it evolves. 

We will support parties and campaigners to comply with the law, while continuing to ensure political finance is transparent. We will support local authorities to meet the significant economic, social and environmental challenges they face in delivering well-run electoral services. We will also 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. 

During the period of this plan, we will work with others to secure changes in the law and in the operation of the electoral system that will ensure it is resilient to changes in society. Critical to this will be taking on board advances in digital technology, seeking sustainable solutions and improving the coherence and efficiency of how organisations involved in the electoral system work together. 

Underpinning the plan is the requirement to provide value for money and maintain a well-run organisation. The plan incorporates a renewed focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, and is designed to encourage staff engagement, development of skills and use of the technology required to support effective ways of working and continuous learning and improvement.

We look forward to working constructively with the Welsh Government, Senedd, other UK governments and parliaments, parties and campaigners, electoral administrators and other interested groups to maintain voter confidence in our electoral system.