Parliamentary briefing: Representation of the People Bill (Part 2 Registration of voters) – Committee Stage (HoC)

• Evidence from our electoral registration research shows that as many as 8 million people across the UK are not correctly registered to vote. Introducing more automated forms of registration would remove barriers to voting and make it easier for people to register and vote.
• The requirement to submit an application to be registered can be a barrier to some, and we know that some groups of people are less likely to be registered correctly: attainers and other young people; people who live in private rented accommodation; disabled people; and recent home-movers.
• Automated or automatic registration could significantly increase the number of people who are correctly registered and able to participate in future elections.
• The Bill introduces a power to allow the piloting of different forms of automated registration. The Commission will independently evaluate these pilots and continue to provide support and guidance to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who would continue to be responsible for compiling and maintaining the electoral registers throughout the year.
• We also currently run public awareness campaigns to promote voter registration ahead of elections. We will continue to do this, adapting our campaign approach to ensure it reflects the final registration model and accounting for possible divergence across the UK.

• When commenced, Clause 17 would impose a duty on EROs to add unregistered citizens to the electoral register where the ERO is satisfied they are entitled to be registered and following a notice period.
• This clause also gives citizens the right to opt out of automatic registration if they choose to do so. This is an important safeguard – for example, it will allow individuals to opt out, to apply for anonymous registration if they wish, or to register as a service voter, overseas elector, or as a voter with a declaration of local connection.
• Clause 18 places a duty on the ERO to alter a person’s entry in the electoral register if they are aware of any changes to that person’s name or address and that person is entitled to be registered. An opt-out also applies to this provision, with the ERO required to give the person notice.

• In order for these reforms to work, the UK Government needs to create clear legal gateways for UK government departments and public sector bodies to share data on potentially eligible individuals with EROs. Clause 36 therefore includes a new power to improve data sharing between government departments and public bodies for electoral registration purposes.
• This will support other key reforms such as integrated registration, where registering to vote would be integrated within another public service transaction, such as applying for a passport or driving license.
• The Bill also strengthens EROs’ power to access locally held data to assist with registration.
• Relevant departments and other public bodies will need to work closely with EROs to facilitate electoral registration using their data. EROs and data source organisations will need a reliable and secure system to manage the communication of data between them, building on the digital service that is already used to support voter registration applications.

• These clauses allow for pilots to take place on changes to the voter registration process, including direct (automatic) registration. This could involve the piloting of registration without an application, altering a person’s entry in the register without an application, or removing entries in the register.
• We will independently evaluate, and report on registration pilots, considering the benefits offered to voters and administrators by each approach and assessing the extent to which the pilot objectives were met.
• The technical infrastructure and planning for pilots can begin now, to maximise the time available. Pilot schemes would need to start in early 2027 at the latest to ensure changes are in place by the next UK general election.

• The Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland (EONI) is responsible for managing the electoral register in Northern Ireland, rather than individual EROs, as is the case in the rest of the UK.
• An electoral registration canvass must take place across Northern Ireland at least once every ten years. During the canvass period, every eligible elector is required to apply to register to vote – even if they have already registered. The canvass, in its current form, has limitations for maintaining an accurate and complete electoral register; up to 300,000 people are still incorrectly registered or missing from the voter roll in Northern Ireland.
• There is a strong case for fundamental change to modernise the registration system in Northern Ireland. Using data for more targeted canvassing could deliver a more cost-effective canvass and improve value for money.
• If the Secretary of State consults the Commission under the power to amend the duty to conduct a canvass, the Commission must prepare a report assessing how the canvass is meeting voter registration goals in Northern Ireland, whether the proposed regulations would help the Chief Electoral Officer do their job, and whether there are other, more effective ways to help the Chief Electoral Officer.
• These clauses provide a power to make changes to the conduct and timing of the canvass in Northern Ireland, including through pilots. The Commission would be required to evaluate and produce a report on any changes or pilots. This will ensure that the UK Government and Parliament have access to robust data and analysis on the potential impact of any changes to the canvass before making permanent changes.

Clause 32 – anonymous voter registration

• Since 2006, people have been able to register to vote without sharing their name and home address. Anonymous registration protects those whose safety would be at risk if these details were on the electoral register. However, registration as an anonymous elector in Great Britain only lasts for up to one year, so anyone who wants to remain registered anonymously must reapply each year.
• Clause 32 extends the length of the anonymity period in Great Britain to three years. This change will reduce the burden on victims of domestic violence and others requiring anonymous registration and make it easier for them to maintain the protection they need.

Clause 33 – voter registration deadline

• The current voter registration deadline is not clearly defined in legislation; it is calculated as midnight, 12 working days before an election, using other deadlines in legislation. Clause 33 sets the pre-election registration deadline for any election at 5pm, 12 working days before the poll. This will provide clarity in the legislation and align the deadline with other election application deadlines, such as the absent vote deadline, already set at 5pm. It will also provide consistency for voters and allow any queries with a registration application to be addressed within the working day.
• We will update our voter registration campaign to continue to ensure the public are aware of the voter registration deadline.

Clause 35 – Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card

• Clause 35 makes changes to the Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card, removing the day from the date of birth on the card, to prevent it being used for purposes other than elections.
• While this change will not reduce access to electoral identity cards, it could mean that people are less likely to apply for a card if they are unable to use it to prove their date of birth. It would have no impact on the card's security when used as proof of ID at a polling station.

Clause 37 – opting out of the open register

• Currently, people’s names and addresses are included on the open register unless they opt out when applying to register to vote. The open register is the version of the electoral register that is available to anyone who wants to buy a copy.
• Clause 37 switches the default for the open register so that people in future will be asked if they want to opt in rather than opt out of the open register. This will apply to all electors and forms of registration, including new forms of registration, such as automatic registration. People under 16 years old and anonymous electors must not be asked if they want to be on the open register.
• This change will reduce the risks to some voters’ safety by being included (by default) on the open register and removes a barrier for those that may not want their details to be accessible. We support this change and have long called for the open register to be abolished.