The UK Government has made changes to the UK electoral system. The Elections Act contains measures that affect:
elections and the way we vote
campaigning and the rules on campaign spending and funding
parliamentary oversight of the Electoral Commission
The changes in the Act apply to UK Parliament elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, and local elections in England. Some provisions will apply to Northern Ireland Assembly elections and local elections in Northern Ireland.
The Act seeks to improve the security, accessibility and transparency of elections and campaigning.
Now that the Act has been passed into law – and there are new rules for elections, voting and campaigning – we are working with voters, local councils, political parties, campaigners and representative bodies, to ensure everyone involved in elections understands the changes.