Performance standards for Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers: consultation response

We commenced a 10 week consultation on a draft new performance standards framework for Returning Officers (ROs) in June 2022. This outlined the proposed new standards which aim to provide a robust framework for the delivery of well-run elections, support the effective and consistent implementation of legislative changes, and enable transparent reporting on how elections have been delivered at a local level and across Great Britain. The consultation also sought views on updates to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) performance standards, which were last reviewed in 2021, to reflect new responsibilities arising from the Elections Act 2022.

The feedback we have received has been positive and, overall, respondents agreed that the standards – with minor amendments – cover the range of responsibilities of the RO and, alongside our guidance, will be effective in supporting ROs with planning for and delivering elections.

The feedback provided during the consultation has been used to inform the final standards – which have now been laid in the UK, Scottish and Welsh Parliaments – and the approach to how they are used. A summary of the key themes of feedback we received during the consultation and our response to the points that were made is set out below.

We will use the standards to inform our engagement with ROs on planning for and delivering elections, with a particular focus in 2023/24 on the effectiveness and consistency of the implementation of the changes introduced by the Elections Act.

We have the power in law to:

  • set performance standards for ROs and EROs
  • issue directions to ROs and EROs to provide reports on their performance against the standards
  • prepare and publish assessments of their performance against the standards.

We first introduced performance standards for ROs in March 2009, and revised the framework in December 2011 and then again in November 2013. 

The Elections Act has provided a timely opportunity to review the RO framework, to ensure it will help support the consistent and effective implementation of the changes. The changes arising from the Elections Act will also impact on the role of EROs, and we identified a number of areas where the ERO framework, which was last reviewed in 2021, needed to be updated to reflect these new responsibilities.

Developing the new standards

We started developing the new RO performance standards last autumn, using the ERO performance framework structure as our basis. The ERO framework was last updated in June 2021 and focuses on outcomes rather than the processes that have been followed.

We informally discussed the approach with a number of ROs from across Great Britain to get their input at an early stage, and their feedback helped shape the draft standards that we consulted on. This included discussions with small groups of ROs across England, as well as engagement with the Wales Electoral Coordination Board and the Electoral Management Board for Scotland.

The draft standards also benefitted from input from the Association of Electoral Administrators, at an official level as well as through discussions around the high-level approach with members at their regional branch meetings, and were discussed with government officials and the elections leads at the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace).

Consultation

The consultation was sent to a range of stakeholders, including: 

  • Ministers and officials in the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments
  • political parties
  • ROs and EROs
  • electoral administrators
  • a range of agencies, professional bodies and representative organisations. 

In addition, we also obtained feedback through discussions with stakeholders from across the electoral community during the consultation period. This included attending various meetings – including AEA branch meetings and meeting with individual ROs and their teams – to talk about the draft standards and to seek feedback. We also held a series of virtual drop in sessions for interested groups and individuals to ask questions and provide feedback.

We received 60 responses to our consultation from a range of organisations and individuals, including: 

  • UK, Scottish and Welsh Government
  • ROs and local authorities across GB
  • the Association of Electoral Administrators
  • the Electoral Management Board for Scotland
  • the Wales Electoral Coordination Board
  • the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA)
  • accessibility groups, including Learning Disability Wales, RNIB, RNIB Cymru and RNIB Scotland 

View the full list of respondents.

We are grateful for the feedback we received, whether by way of written responses to the consultation or through discussions. 

Summary of consultation responses

The consultation asked for views on a number of questions on the proposed performance standards for ROs, including:

  • The scope of the standards: whether the draft standards are focussed on the right outcomes, while covering the full range of responsibilities of the RO, and whether there are any gaps, or anything included in the standards that shouldn’t be there
  • How the standards are used: whether our proposed approach to how we use the standards to engage with ROs and their teams will ensure we are providing effective support and challenge, while maintaining the right level of transparency of RO performance
  • How the standards support the implementation of legislation: whether the standards, along with our guidance, will support the consistent implementation of the legislative changes introduced by the Elections Act 2022

The scope of the standards

The consultation set out the structure of the standards, which focus on the outcomes that should be delivered, rather than the processes that are followed, with the objective of helping ROs and their teams to understand and demonstrate the impact of their election activities. 

Overall, there was agreement from respondents that the standards focus on the right outcomes and activities. However, concerns were raised by some respondents about the risk that ROs be challenged on elements outside their control. A particular example of this was the inclusion of ‘elections delivered without legal challenge’ as a success measure.

It was already implicit throughout the standards that it is the actions that the RO is accountable for that are covered by the framework and not (for example) the behaviour of candidates and campaigners, which would be relevant context but not something the RO can be held directly accountable for. However, to reflect the concerns raised, we have made an addition to the wording of this element to reflect that it explicitly refers to a legal challenge to the administration of the poll. 

In addition, we also received some suggestions of additional activities undertaken by ROs – for example, the inclusion of an additional activity ‘Ensuring polling stations are set up and staff are trained to support voters to vote independently and in secret’ – which has now been added into the standards.

We have also amended and updated the standards to reflect how the new voter ID measures from the Elections Act will work in practice, now that the secondary legislation which provides for this has been laid in parliament. 

Some respondents also highlighted that the Elections Act will introduce significant differences in the devolved nations, and that these differences could be more explicit within the standards. As noted, the standards focus on the outcomes that should be delivered, rather than the processes that are undertaken, and while the specific activities undertaken may differ, the overall outcomes are still the same across Great Britain. Therefore, we believe the standards provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate any differences across England, Scotland and Wales, but they will be kept under review and further updates made whenever needed; and indeed we expect to consider this further as electoral reform proposals from Welsh Government and Scottish Government are progressed.

Likewise, there are particular elements of the standards that will not apply to devolved elections – for example, the provision of photo ID when voting in person at the polling station – and therefore these elements of the standards will not apply in those circumstances. The version of the new standards sent to the Scottish Minister and the Welsh Minister for laying in the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd omit the content relevant only to reserved elections, but are otherwise consistent and focussed on the same outcomes.

How the standards are used

The consultation set out how the standards, alongside our guidance and advice, form a central part of the Commission’s work to support and challenge ROs in the delivery of well-run elections, and to report transparently on RO performance and how elections are delivered.  

Most respondents agreed with the proposed approach to how we will use the standards. However, concerns were raised by several respondents about the volume of data and information contained within the standards and their ability to collate and provide all the information and data listed. 

It is not our intention that ROs would collate and provide us with all the information listed within the standards as a matter of course. Instead, the information and data set out in the standards will be used to shape the structured discussions with ROs and their teams and we will focus on particular aspects of the standards in our discussions – for example, in the first year we expect to prioritise the new elements of the standards relating to the Elections Act. This is in addition to our regular risk-based approach to engaging, supporting and challenging ROs that includes focussing on areas where issues have previously arisen. 

However, we will continue to collect management information from all ROs, with the focus being around key information and evidence from the standards which would provide an overview of the key preparations that have been made (for example, around polling station venues and staffing, count venues and timing, and postal vote despatch arrangements). As well as giving us an important source of information to analyse and use to inform engagement with local ROs, it also provides a picture of progress at a national level and gives us data we can use proactively and reactively to tell the story of how the elections are being managed.

On the whole, respondents agreed that our proposed approach to reporting - highlighting areas where there have been issues as well as using our reporting to highlight examples of good practice – would support transparency, promote confidence that elections are well-run and enable the sharing of good practice. 

However, a number of respondents highlighted that we could be doing more in using the framework to identify and share good practice more widely. This is already an area that we have identified we want to expand on, and we are committed to exploring this further.

For 2023/24, we will seek to use our engagement and reporting to collect and highlight examples of good practice that emerge. This will be particularly important as we gather examples of new processes to support the implementation of legislative changes, which we can then share with other local authorities to help inform their local arrangements. We will also share good practice examples directly with those who we have identified as needing support and that may benefit from the experience of other teams who have faced similar challenges. Beyond this, we intend to explore further how we can use existing networks to share experiences and examples more widely.

How the standards support the implementation of legislation

The consultation set out how the standards, along with our guidance and advice, would have an important role in supporting the effective and consistent implementation of legislative changes, including changes resulting from the Elections Act. 

Whilst the majority of respondents were content that the scope of the standards addressed and supported the implementation of the changes introduced by the Elections Act, responses from accessibility organisations asked for a greater emphasis on accessibility throughout the standards. 

We have therefore made some minor amendments to strengthen the standards, making accessibility more explicit across the standards. While the standards include the headline activities that ROs will need to undertake to be able to meet the overall outcomes, the detail of how to deliver these activities, including in relation to ensuring elections are accessible, will be covered in the accompanying guidance and resources. 

Throughout September and October, we consulted on draft guidance for ROs on providing assistance with voting for persons with disabilities, which will play a key role in helping ROs to ensure they are taking steps to enable voters to vote independently and in secret. The feedback we received, including from accessibility organisations, has informed the further development of the guidance which we are now formally consulting on.

Most respondents also agreed that the standards do provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate future legislative change, although responses consistently highlighted the uncertainty about how provisions in the Elections Act will work in practice and the importance of ensuring that the standards remain appropriate and accurately reflect the responsibilities of ROs and EROs once the Act is embedded. Whilst the outcome-focussed framework we have developed should provide flexibility to cover the range of changes and how they are implemented in practice, we will continue to keep them under review and will be able to make further updates if necessary. 

Using the standards in 2023

The new performance standards will form an important part of our support package for ROs in preparing for and delivering elections across Great Britain. Now that the standards have been finalised and laid in the UK, Scottish and Welsh Parliaments we will start to use them to inform our engagement with ROs and EROs, with a particular focus in 2023 on the effectiveness and consistency of implementation of the changes introduced by the Elections Act. We will also use the information from this engagement, along with an analysis of the information and data we will collect, to support our reporting on how the May 2023 elections have been delivered and on the operation of the system more generally. 

Targeted engagement

Whilst we aim to engage with all ROs with elections, as in previous years, we will take a risk-based approach to help prioritise the order, frequency and intensity of our engagement. This builds on our already-established process, where we undertake risk assessments taking into account a range of factors, including the experience of the RO and their team, any staffing changes, demographics of the area and electoral fraud risks, to inform who, how and when we engage.

We will also continue to prioritise engaging with any ROs who have previously had issues with the delivery of their polls, particularly where we may have found that they did not meet elements of the standards. 

More generally, the framework of the standards will be used to support structured conversations with ROs, EROs and their teams. In the first year of operation, our engagement will see a focus on the following elements of the standards:

  • Accessibility of voting: this will include a focus on the arrangements being made to support voters to vote independently and in secret, in line with our new guidance. We will engage in advance of the elections to support and challenge ROs where necessary to help ensure appropriate arrangements are in place, and will use the information and data we collect to inform our statutory reporting after the polls on what ROs have done to ensure accessibility.
  • Administering the Voter Authority Certificate process: this will look at the targeted engagement activity being carried out locally to raise awareness of the need for ID and the availability of the Voter Authority Certificate, as well as the processing of applications and managing the production and distribution, to help ensure that voters without one of the accepted forms of ID are able to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate. Again this will include support and challenge in the period leading up to the polls, as well as providing a basis for the collection of information and data to inform our evaluation of the implementation of the provisions.

To help prepare for structured discussions, we will provide advance notice to individual ROs and EROs of the types of information and data that we will want to discuss with them, to help them understand the areas we will want to explore.

Data collection from all ROs

We will continue to collect baseline information from all ROs with elections, which aligns with the information and evidence outlined in the standards. As explained above, we do not plan on collecting all the information listed in the standards at one time, with our focus instead being on the key pieces of information during an election period which would provide an overview of the key preparations that have been made.

As well as giving us an important source of information to analyse and use to inform engagement with local ROs (i.e. using the information to update risk profiles, and informing the prioritisation of our targeted engagement), it also provides a picture of progress at a national level and gives us data we can use proactively and reactively to tell the story of how the elections are being managed. 

Reporting

As set out in the consultation, we also need to ensure that where issues have arisen, we are transparent about these, being open and clear about what has happened, the impact, and the learning. To this end, the standards play an important role in enabling us to report on the administration of elections. 

Where issues arise, after we have supported the RO to resolve the situation, the relevant pieces of data and information listed in the standards will be collated and analysed to enable us to reach an assessment about whether or not the relevant aspects of the standards have been met in practice. We will continue to use our established process for doing this which includes consultation with a panel of Electoral Coordination and Advisory Board members (i.e. senior ROs from across the UK) to gather their feedback on the evidence, impact and provisional assessment of performance, before a final decision is taken.

As well as highlighting areas where there have been issues, we will remain mindful of the responses to the consultation that highlighted the value of using our reporting to highlight examples of good practice.

The information we gain through our engagement with ROs and their teams will not only provide us with an understanding of local performance but will also help us to build up a picture of how the system is working more generally. By capturing and collating the key points from our individual structured discussions with ROs we can identify emerging themes and issues, which can in turn inform our reporting and recommendations after elections.

Year-round engagement

The new framework has been designed to be used not only in the period leading up to polls but throughout the whole year. The first of the standards in particular aims to provide a basis for year-round engagement, including in relation to the wider structure and approach to elections delivery, helping to identify and address any issues further out from elections and to help ensure readiness for polls, whenever they may take place.

As part of our ongoing wider engagement programme, which ensures we have regular contact with all ROs, we will use performance standard one to support structured conversations with ROs outside a scheduled election period. These conversations will focus on ensuring that ROs have the structures and resources in place to enable and support their teams to deliver elections in practice and on the ongoing planning and preparations that are needed to ensure they are ready to deliver polls whenever they may take place.

Performance Standards for ROs

What inputs are needed?

RO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of the delivery of elections, including the range of statutory functions of the RO, and an understanding of the strategic landscape, including any legislative changes that will impact on delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders

Planning

Maintain plans for the delivery of elections, scheduled and unscheduled, ensuring they are kept under review.

Resources

Identification and allocation of budget and permanent staffing; and management of contractors and suppliers

What activities are being undertaken?

Understanding of statutory responsibilities

  • Polls are delivered in accordance with legislation, guidance and directions (where issued)
  • RO knowledge and understanding of role and responsibilities is developed and maintained, including through training 
  • Formal appointment of deputies, ensuring clear delegations in place and roles are allocated and understood

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Awareness of guidance and legislation 
  • Records of training/meetings attended 
  • Evidence of quality assurance of the whole electoral process 
  • Notification of appointment of deputies

Development and maintenance of robust delivery plans

  • Establish project team to support preparations for and delivery of elections 
  • Clear plans in place, with objectives and success measures 
  • Contingency planning to ensure readiness for unscheduled events 
  • Business continuity planning 
  • Risk register in place, with risks monitored and mitigations identified and implemented 
  • Recruitment of all necessary staff and identification of training needs 
  • Robust arrangements in place for managing issues 
  • Access appropriate funding

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Clear agendas for and records of project team meetings, to support focus on outcomes 
  • Project planning documentation which is kept under regular review 
  • Evaluation of previous events and identification of lessons learned 
  • Analysis of wider context within which polls are being conducted 
  • Succession plans which are regularly monitored 
  • Training needs analysis and records of training 
  • Reconciliation of project costs against available budget

Working with contractors and suppliers, both internal and external

  • Identification of services required 
  • Procurement of services 
  • Contract development and management of delivery

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Records of formal procurement decisions 
  • Contracts in place with all suppliers, with mechanisms to manage and monitor performance 
  • Contract monitoring tools and escalation mechanisms, including supplier issues logs, risk registers and assurances of supplier business continuity plans 
  • Service level agreements

Maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders

  • Engagement with key stakeholders on plans 
  • Ongoing engagement with stakeholders throughout the delivery of the polls

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Minutes of meetings with stakeholders 
  • Consultation with and feedback from local stakeholders on plans and election arrangements 
  • Assessment of local accessibility requirements and demonstrated understanding of needs 
  • Records of issues or concerns raised by stakeholders and resolutions implemented
  • Evaluation of feedback from key stakeholders

Coordination and management of the poll (by ROs with a power of direction)

  • Work across local authority boundaries with other ROs to develop guidance and issue directions where necessary to support consistent delivery of polls
  • Engage with local Returning Officers on the arrangements they have in place to deliver the elections in their area

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Plans for communication with local ROs 
  • Plans for coordinating and delivering public awareness activity and engaging with electors across the electoral area 
  • Arrangements for the collation of results 
  • Records of any guidance issued and whether and how the power to issue directions has been used 
  • Analysis of post-election feedback

What difference is being made?

  • A consistent high-quality experience for electors, candidates and agents 
  • Public confidence in and satisfaction with election processes 
  • Teams delivering electoral services are supported to effectively deliver electoral processes 
  • The RO has the right skills, knowledge and influence to support the effective delivery of the polls

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Events are delivered in accordance with legislation 
  • Elections delivered without legal challenge to the administration of the poll 
  • Analysis of team resilience, capability and capacity 
  • Analysis of feedback on the delivery of polls and any complaints received
  • Performance against measures and objectives set out in your project plans

 

What inputs are needed?

RO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of the delivery of elections, including the range of statutory functions of the RO

Planning

Maintain plans for the delivery of elections, ensuring they are kept under review and actively used to support delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders

Resources

Identification and allocation of budget and temporary staffing; and management of contractors and suppliers

Training

Identification and delivery of training to meet the needs of both permanent and temporary staff

What activities are being undertaken?

Providing information to ensure voters understand how they can take part

  • Develop and deliver a public awareness strategy, ensuring that electors are provided with the information they need to understand how they can take part 
  • Ensure all required election materials are accurate, accessible and made available as soon as practicable

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Analysis of different communication methods, to support targeting of messaging 
  • Evidence of working with partners to deliver public awareness 
  • Ballot paper rejection rates and postal vote rejection rates, contributing to an understanding of whether voters have been able to follow the instructions 
  • Feedback from polling station staff and data relating to those who were unable to vote due to not having appropriate identification (at relevant polls) 
  • (Wales only) Plans in place to ensure all information for electors is provided equally in English and Welsh, including all election materials

Production of election materials

  • Production and publication of election notices 
  • Production and delivery of poll cards 
  • Proof-checking of election materials 
  • Production of ballot papers

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Accuracy of statutory notices 
  • Information on method and timing of delivery of poll cards and postal ballot packs 
  • Accuracy and timeliness of election materials: 
    • Record of arrangements for any outsourcing of production and delivery of poll cards, postal votes and ballot papers 
    • Record of proof checking processes 
    • Examples of election materials 
    • Record of data protection processes

Managing absent voting

  • Production and delivery of postal ballot packs 
  • Opening and processing returned postal votes

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Accuracy and timeliness of postal ballot packs: 
    • Record of arrangements for any outsourcing of production and delivery of postal ballot papers 
    • Audit trail of issuing of postal votes 
    • Record of checking processes 
    • Records of postal votes delivered by hand to council offices 
    • Accurate records of postal vote openings including audit trails of postal votes opened, verified and rejected

Managing voting in person

  • Identifying and booking suitable polling stations 
  • Assessing accessibility of polling stations 
  • Identifying and providing equipment to support voters with accessibility needs
  • Ensuring polling stations are set up and staff are trained to support voters to vote independently and in secret 
  • Ensuring appropriate staffing levels at polling stations 
  • Providing training for polling station staff

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Evaluation checklists for polling stations to demonstrate suitability for use 
  • Polling station layout plans 
  • Approach taken to allocating electors and staff to polling stations 
  • Checklists of required polling station equipment 
  • Analysis of voter needs informing decisions about equipment to be provided to support voting 
  • Feedback from voters and local interest groups on equipment provided to support voting 
  • Guidance/training provided to polling station staff 
  • Records of those refused a ballot paper, by reason 
  • Records of postal votes delivered by hand to polling stations

What difference is being made?

  • Voters understand the different ways in which they can cast their vote 
  • Voters are able to cast their vote using their preferred method 
  • Voters are able to cast their vote in secret at polling stations 
  • Barriers to voting are minimised

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Evaluation of public awareness activities 
  • Analysis of feedback and complaints from eligible voters, staff, candidates and agents 
  • Analysis of available data relating to voters who have not been able to cast their vote (for example, due to not having appropriate Identification (at relevant polls)) 
  • No voters are prevented from casting their vote due to inaccessibility of polling station arrangements

What inputs are needed?

RO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and  oversight of the delivery of elections, including the range of statutory functions of the RO 

Planning

Maintain plans for the delivery of elections, ensuring they are kept under review and actively used to  support delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders 

Training

Staff understand their responsibilities in relation to the processes to be followed for candidates seeking to stand for election

What activities are being undertaken?

Providing information to support anyone wishing to stand as a candidate in understanding what they need to do

  • Ensuring accessibility and awareness of electoral processes
  • Provision of information and guidance to parties, candidates and agents 
  • Briefings offered to candidates and agents 
  • Gathering feedback from attendees to inform continuous improvement

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Records of attendance at briefings 
  • Evaluation of feedback from candidates and agents on the information/briefings provided to those wanting to stand for election 
  • Analysis of process queries from candidates and agents to support provision of relevant information 
  • Number of nomination papers rejected by the RO, by reason

Administration of the nominations process

  • Provision of informal checks 
  • Determination of nomination papers 
  • Close of nomination processes 
  • Ensuring accurate ballot papers

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Records of arrangements in place for candidates to have their nominations informally checked 
  • Timeliness and accuracy of publication of the statement of persons nominated 
  • Accuracy of the ballot paper 
  • Assessment of GDPR requirements and records of management of personal data received as part of the nominations process

Management of access to electoral processes to ensure transparency and enable scrutiny

  • Receipt of notifications of appointment of polling, postal voting and counting agents
  • Provision of information relating to polling stations, postal vote opening sessions and the count (layout plan, process documents, etc.)

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Records of those entitled to access electoral processes
  • Information provided to attendees

What difference is being made?

  • Candidates are aware of the process they need to follow to stand for election 
  • Nominations are accurately processed and everyone who is validly nominated is included on the ballot paper 
  • Candidates and appointed agents are aware of their entitlement to attend electoral processes and are able to carry out their scrutiny role effectively

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • No errors on the statement of persons nominated or ballot papers
  • Analysis of feedback and complaints from candidates, agents or parties

What inputs are needed?

RO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of the delivery of elections, including the range of statutory functions of the RO 

Planning

Maintain plans for the delivery of elections, ensuring they are kept under review and actively used to support delivery 

Stakeholder engagement 

Establish and maintain strong relationships and manage communications with key stakeholders

Resources 

Identification and allocation of budget and staffing

Training

Identification and delivery of training to meet the needs of both permanent and temporary staff

What activities are being undertaken?

Postal vote opening

  • Accurate processing of returned postal votes 
  • Verification of postal vote identifiers

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Audit trail of receipt and opening of postal ballot packs 
  • Arrangements for the secure storage and transportation of returned postal votes 
  • Number of postal vote rejections, by reason 
  • Postal vote opening venue layout information 
  • Records of those entitled to attend

Managing the verification and count

  • Development of venue layout and processes to ensure an accessible and transparent count
  • Managing attendance at the verification and count
  • Managing the verification and count processes
  • Managing media liaison

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Evaluation of previous count venues and processes 
  • Assessment of access needs, with actions taken to address any issues 
  • Count venue layout information 
  • Audit trail of receipt and opening of ballot boxes 
  • Audit trails of count processes 
  • Number of rejected ballots for each contest, by reason 
  • Strategy for dealing with both proactive and reactive communication with the media

Managing the declaration of results

  • Declarations are accurate and accessible 
  • Publication of results is timely and accurate

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Processes in place to quality assure results 
  • Accurate declarations of results (in Wales, in both English and Welsh) 
  • Audit trails of verification and count paperwork 
  • Statement of results (in Wales, in both English and Welsh) and where they are published

Maintaining electoral integrity

  • Ensuring the security of election materials 
  • Engagement with local SPOC 
  • Develop a fraud/integrity plan and work with the appropriate authorities to support the investigation of any allegations of electoral fraud/integrity issues

What information is needed to understand the impact of our activities?

  • Risk register showing security risks and associated mitigations 
  • Fraud/integrity plan, including risk assessments and mitigations 
  • Allegations of electoral fraud/integrity issues referred to the police

What difference is being made?

  • Voters have confidence their vote will be counted in the way they intended 
  • Candidates and agents have confidence in the accuracy of the result 
  • All those who have observed the election have confidence in the conduct of the election 
  • Voters can easily access the results of the election 
  • Voters have confidence their vote is secure

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Elections delivered without legal challenge to the administration of the poll 
  • Analysis of feedback and complaints from candidates, agents and other observers 
  • Election results are accurate and readily available 
  • Analysis of police data relating to allegations of electoral fraud/integrity issues

 

Performance Standards for EROs

What inputs are needed?

ERO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of delivery of the electoral registration service, including the statutory functions of the ERO, and stakeholder engagement

Planning

Maintaining a plan for registration throughout the year, ensuring it is kept under review and evaluation is undertaken, with lessons learnt fed back in, and a risk and issues register, identifying any risks to the effective delivery of your registration plan and corresponding mitigating actions

Resource

Identification and allocation of budget and staffing for electoral registration activities

Training

Identification and delivery of training to meet the needs of both permanent and temporary staff

What activities are being undertaken?

Identification of those not registered, including hard to reach groups:

  • Using available data and information sources, identify those not registered, including hard to reach groups
  • Develop and maintain a public engagement strategy, ensuring planned activities are tailored to meet the needs of different groups of electors

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Analysis of the scope and usefulness of data and information
  • Ward level analysis of the registration area
  • Identification of priority areas to target registration activity
  • Evaluation of communications channels and approaches, including cost/benefit analysis of previous activity, supporting development of engagement strategy and activities

Undertaking year-round registration activity:

  • Maintain the property database
  • Contact potential eligible electors, including carrying out work to target hard to reach groups
  • Ensure those no longer entitled to be registered are identified and removed
  • Develop and implement processes to identify and address potential integrity issues
  • Manage special category electors

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Number of properties with UPRN/as a percentage of properties 
  • Analysis of any issues reported with the allocation of properties to polling districts to reflect relevant electoral boundaries 
  • The accuracy and usability of data sources used 
  • Analysis of response rates by channel, to understand impact of different approaches 
  • Number of ITRs sent (by channel) 
  • Number of ITRs followed up
  • Number of ITRs not responded to after the reminder and personal visit stages 
  • Number of electors whose identity has not been verified and have yet to provide documentary evidence by type e.g. ordinary electors, overseas electors, etc. 
  • Number of registration applications received, by type e.g. ordinary electors, overseas electors, etc. 
  • Number of additions to the register, by type e.g. ordinary electors, overseas electors, etc. 
  • Number of reviews of registration and number of deletions as a result 
  • Number of deletions not as a result of a review, by type 
  • Number of registration applications referred to the police 
  • Number of renewals sent by elector type 
  • Number of special category elector applications (both new and renewals) processed, from different elector groups (overseas, service etc.) 
  • Number of special category electors renewed by elector type

Administering the canvass:

  • Using available data and information, identify the most appropriate method to canvass properties in your area
  • Make arrangements to deliver the planned canvass activities
  • Undertake the planned canvass activities

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • The accuracy and usability of local data sources used 
  • Results of data matching (national and local) 
  • Number of households intended for each route 
  • Analysis of available communications channels (e-communications, telephone, mail, etc.), to inform contact with individual properties
  • Number of households canvassed, by route and channel 
  • Number of communications sent, by route and channel 
  • Number of responses by route and channel 
  • Assessment of success of canvass communication channels used 
  • Number of canvassers recruited and trained 
  • Evaluation of canvasser performance

Administering the Voter Authority Certificate process

  • Develop and maintain an engagement strategy for those less likely to hold an accepted form of ID on how to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate 
  • Process Voter Authority Certificate applications Manage production and distribution of temporary Voter Authority Certificates
  • Process Anonymous Elector’s document applications

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Identification of those less likely to hold a required form of ID, supporting targeting of activity 
  • Evaluation of communications channels and approaches, supporting development and delivery of engagement strategy and activities 
  • Number of Voter Authority Certificate applications received by channel 
  • Number of Voter Authority Certificate applications processed 
  • Number of Voter Authority Certificate applications rejected 
  • Number of Voter Authority Certificates issued 
  • Number of temporary Voter Authority Certificates issued 
  • Number of Anonymous Elector’s document applications received and processed 
  • Number of Anonymous Elector’s document applications rejected 
  • Number of Anonymous Elector’s documents issued

What difference is being made?

  • The demographics of the registration area and the needs of groups of electors within it are understood, enabling services to be targeted and designed to meet the needs of residents
  • Barriers to registration are minimised, enabling all eligible individuals, including those from different elector groups, to register Potential new electors are identified and are given every opportunity to register to vote
  • Changes in the registration status of individuals are captured and applied to the register in a timely manner
  • Elections are effectively supported by the register
  • Voters without one of the accepted forms of ID are able to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate to enable them to cast their vote in person

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Performance against the KPIs/objectives set out in your registration plans
  • Evaluation of public engagement activities undertaken, including of changes made to the register as a result of the activity
  • Changes in levels of registration within and across the registration area, both generally and within identified under-registered groups
  • An assessment of levels of additions and deletions, during the canvass and throughout the year.
  • A year-on-year analysis of additions and deletions
  • Assessment of the numbers of eligible electors who tried to vote on polling day but were unable to do so as a result of not being registered to vote or who were unable to vote due to not having appropriate identification (at relevant polls)

What inputs are needed?

ERO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of delivery of the absent voting function, including the statutory responsibilities of the ERO, and stakeholder engagement.

Planning

Maintaining a plan throughout the year, including arrangements for managing the absent voting process, and a risk and issues register, identifying any risks to the effective delivery of your plan and corresponding mitigating actions.

Resources

Identification and allocation of budget and staffing for absent voting activities.

Training

Identification and delivery of training to meet the needs of both permanent and temporary staff.

What activities are being undertaken?

Supporting electors to engage with the absent voting process:

  • Develop and implement a communications plan to ensure that electors are aware of the absent vote options available to them
  • Ensure that all electors can access the absent vote process

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Evaluation of information made available to electors on the absent voting process to help them understand the options available to them
  • Number of absent vote applications from different elector groups (overseas, service), by type (postal or proxy)
  • Number and type of complaints received about ability to access the absent vote process from different elector groups (ordinary, overseas, service etc.)

Administering absent vote processes:

  • Process new applications
  • Process requested changes to absent voting preferences
  • Maintain absent vote records and lists
  • Undertake postal vote refresh/ reapplication process (as relevant)
  • Develop and implement processes to identify and address potential integrity issues

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Number of absent vote applications received by channel 
  • Number of absent vote applications received by type (postal or proxy) 
  • Number of absent vote applications rejected 
  • Number of absent vote confirmations sent 
  • Number of changes to voting arrangements processed 
  • Number of absent vote refresh notices sent, followed up and responses processed, by type (e.g. ordinary elector, overseas elector, etc.) 
  • Number of postal vote applications for postal votes to be redirected to one address
  • Number of postal applications from one address 
  • Number of proxy applications from one address 
  • Number of emergency proxy applications by type 
  • Number of applications referred to the police for investigation

What difference is being made?

  • Electors are able to make an informed decision on what voting method is best for them
  • Barriers to absent voting are minimised, enabling all eligible individuals, including those from different elector groups, to apply
  • Changes to voting arrangements are captured and applied in a timely manner
  • The integrity of absent voting records and lists is maintained

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Performance against the KPIs/objectives set out in your plans
  • Analysis of complaints and feedback received about ability to access the absent voting process
  • Assessment of the numbers and types of errors in the absent voter lists

What inputs are needed?

ERO understanding and delivery of role and responsibilities

Management and oversight of delivery of the electoral registers, including the statutory functions of the ERO, and stakeholder engagement.

Planning

Maintaining a plan throughout the year, including details of the publication and supply of the register and arrangements for managing the security of systems, and a risk and issues register, identifying any risks to the effective delivery of your plan and corresponding mitigating actions

Resources

Identification and allocation of budget and staffing for electoral registration activities.

Training

Identification and delivery of training to meet the needs of both permanent and temporary staff.

What activities are being undertaken?

Publication and supply of the electoral register:

  • Maintain record of those who are entitled to receive the electoral register
  • Securely supply the electoral register to recipients
  • Timely and accurate supply of electoral registers to the Returning Officer to support the conduct of elections

What information is needed to understand the impact of these activities?

  • Evaluation of arrangements for publication of the revised register and monthly updates to the register 
  • Evaluation of arrangements for supplying the register to those entitled to receive it 
  • Number of requests received, number of requests approved and when supplied 
  • Audit trails showing how and when data has been transferred 
  • Evaluation of methods for transferring data 
  • Processes to ensure cyber security 
  • Timing of provision of the registers 
  • Information provided to recipients on appropriate use of the register

What difference is being made?

  • Everyone who is entitled to be supplied with the register receives data on time and in an appropriate format
  • Electors have confidence in how their data is compiled, accessed and used
  • Personal data is processed lawfully and transparently

How can we determine the success of our work?

  • Performance against the KPIs/objectives set out in your plans
  • Analysis of complaints received from register recipients in relation to the provision of registers
  • Analysis of complaints from electors about how their data is processed

We received 60 responses to the consultation:

Governments (3)

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities officials
  • George Adam, Minister for Parliamentary Business (Scotland)
  • Welsh Government officials

Representative bodies (6)

  • Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA)
  • AEA Southern Branch
  • Electoral Management Board for Scotland (EMB)
  • Scottish Assessors Association (SAA)
  • South Wales Central regional group (Cardiff Council, Vale of Glamorgan Council and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council)  
  • Wales Electoral Coordination Board

Academics (1)

  • Toby James, Professor of Politics and Public Policy

Other organisations (5)

  • Learning Disability Wales
  • RNIB
  • RNIB Cymru
  • RNIB Scotland
  • Welsh Language Commissioner

ROs, EROs and their teams (45)

  • Bristol City Council
  • Bromsgrove and Redditch Councils
  • Broxtowe Borough Council
  • Buckinghamshire Council
  • Coventry City Council
  • Dacorum Borough Council
  • Darlington Borough Council
  • Dorset Council
  • Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • Eastbourne Borough Council
  • Falkirk Council
  • Fareham Borough Council
  • Folkestone and Hythe District Council
  • Gloucester City Council
  • Gravesham Borough Council
  • Harrogate Borough Council
  • Hartlepool Borough Council
  • Havant Borough Council
  • Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
  • Kirklees Council
  • Lewes District Council
  • Lewisham Council
  • London Borough of Bexley
  • Luton Borough Council
  • Neath Port Talbot Council
  • North East Lincolnshire Council
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • North Northamptonshire Council
  • North Tyneside Council
  • Norwich City Council
  • Plymouth City Council
  • Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
  • Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
  • Selby District Council
  • Shropshire Council
  • South Kesteven District Council
  • South Tyneside Council 
  • Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
  • Swale Borough Council
  • Swindon Borough Council
  • Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
  • Torridge District Council
  • Tower Hamlets Council
  • West Dunbartonshire Council
  • West Suffolk Council