You should consider at an early stage how you will ensure that the elections are administered to a consistent standard across Greater London, so that voters receive a consistently high quality of service regardless of where they live and the election produces a result that is accepted. This should be reflected in the objectives and success measures set out in your project plan and should include whether you have issued (or intend to issue) guidance, and whether and how you have used (or intend to use) your power to give directions.
There will be aspects of the election process where you will particularly want to ensure that there is consistency, most notably in the areas that impact on the voters’ experience – for example, how CROs will meet their duty to ensure polling station voting is accessible to all voters, the issue of poll cards and postal votes, and the staffing of polling stations – as well as in respect of the verification and counting of votes.
There are various tools available to you to ensure consistency. It is for you to decide, based on factors such as your knowledge, experience and relationships with the CROs and BROs, and taking into consideration issues of scope and scale, how to best achieve the objectives set out in your election plan. Your power to give directions is one tool available for you to use, but whether to give directions, on what matters, and to whom is at your discretion.
Your project plan should reflect how and when you will reach a decision on your approach to managing and co-ordinating the elections and how you will implement this approach in practice. It should also include a communications strategy to support this work.
As a minimum, you should have in place processes for monitoring the delivery of the elections, including compliance with any directions and/or guidance you have given. You should think about how you will support CROs and electoral administrators in managing the polls and in dealing with any emerging issues.
The Commission’s London regional team will be available to support you throughout the election. Further detail on our plans for support and monitoring at any scheduled elections will be included in a future bulletin.