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Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Electoral Registration

Closed Opened 15 Dec 2022 Closed 28 May 2024 1 recommendation

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
This inquiry will look into the current system of voter registration in the UK, how effective it is at registering eligible electors and consider international examples of good practice. The Committee’s inquiry will examine issues surrounding the access to and sharing of data, and how to improve the accuracy and completeness of registers. The inquiry will also explore the impact on local authorities of event-led registration as well as changes since the passing of the Elections Act 2022.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 15 December 2022.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently Fourth Report - Electoral Registration on 21 March 2024.

The government's response

Electoral Registration: Government Response to the Select Committee Report

Published 23 May 2024. The deadline was 21 May 2024.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Electoral Registration: Electoral Commission Response to the Select Committee Report

Published 23 May 2024.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Recommendations and conclusions

All 1 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 4 oral evidence sessionsLatest 13 December 2023
  • 17 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Recommendations and conclusions 1 shown

123: Prioritise time and resources to consolidate electoral law with a clear implementation timeline

Recommendation · Fourth Report - Electoral Registration · Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Recommended (the committee's words)
We reiterate the strong recommendation of numerous committees in recent years, including the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the House of Lords Constitution Committee, that the Government bring forward a timeline to consolidate electoral law. The Government must now prioritise the time and resources needed to create critical improvements to electoral legislation. 137 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Letter to Secretary of State 12 April 2022 138 Law Commission, Electoral Law: A Final Report, 16 March 2020 139 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, First Special Report of Session 2019–21 Electoral law: The Urgent Need for Review, HC 327 140 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Letter to Secretary of State, 12 April 2022 141 Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Letter to Secretary of State, 12 April 2022 142 AEA, Post Polls Report, 27 June 2023 143 AEA, Post Polls Report, 27 June 2023 Electoral Registration 33 Conclusion and recommendations The case for reform

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
13 Dec 2023
Oral Evidence
Liz Owen · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Simon Hoare MP · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 		View ↗
3 Jul 2023
Oral Evidence
Ailsa Irvine · Electoral Commission, Craig Westwood · Electoral Commission, Graham Farrant · BCP Council, John Pullinger CB · Electoral Commission, Miranda Cannon · Leicester City Council, Peter Stanyon · Association of Electoral Administrators 		View ↗
17 Apr 2023
Oral Evidence
Amanda Edwards · Association of Electoral Administrators (Wales), Fazilet Hadi · Disability Rights UK, Fiona Weir · Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, Peter Stanyon · Association of Electoral Administrators, Pete Wildman · Scottish Assessors Association, Sila Ugurlu · British Youth Council 		View ↗
6 Mar 2023
Oral Evidence
Barry Quirk CBE, Louise Round · Solace, Professor Alistair Clark · Newcastle University, Professor Toby James · University of East Anglia (UEA) 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

17 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Peter Stanyon · Chief Executive Association of Electoral Administrators 2
Ailsa Irvine · Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance Electoral Commission 1
Amanda Edwards · Chair Association of Electoral Administrators (Wales) 1
Barry Quirk CBE Not recorded 1
Craig Westwood · Director of Communications Electoral Commission 1
Fazilet Hadi · Policy Manager Disability Rights UK 1
Fiona Weir · CEO Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust 1
Graham Farrant · Returning Officer BCP Council 1
John Pullinger CB · Chair Electoral Commission 1
Liz Owen · Deputy Director for Registration and Franchise Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 1
Louise Round · Head of Elections and Democracy Solace 1
Miranda Cannon · Returning Officer Leicester City Council 1
Pete Wildman · Vice President Scottish Assessors Association 1
Professor Alistair Clark · Professor of Political Science Newcastle University 1
Professor Toby James · Professor of Politics and Public Policy University of East Anglia (UEA) 1
Sila Ugurlu · Trustee British Youth Council 1
Simon Hoare MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 1

Correspondence

15 letters

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PublishedDirectionLetter
16 Apr 2024 To committee Letter from the Chair of the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 9 April 2024 concerning Electoral Registration
10 Nov 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Faith and Communities dated 10 November 2023 concerning Voter Identification
8 Nov 2023 To committee Letter from the Electoral Commission concerning the publication of its post poll report into voter ID at the local elections, dated 12 September 2023
20 Sep 2023 To committee Letter from the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 12 September 2023 concerning electoral registration follow up questions
20 Sep 2023 To committee Letter from Information Commissioner's Office to the Chair dated 8 September 2023 concerning data protection implications
19 Sep 2023 To committee Letter from the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 8 August 2023 concerning a cyber attack of its systems
18 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Electoral Commission dated 17 July 2023 following up oral evidence taken on 3 July
18 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Information Commissioner's Officer dated 17 July 2023 concerning the data protection implications of alternative forms of voter registration
27 Jun 2023 To committee Letter from the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 22 June 2023 concerning their initial analysis of Voter ID implementation
2 May 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair of the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 2 May 2023 concerning follow up on the data collection on the numbers of voters turned away in May local elections
2 May 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Chair of the Electoral Commission dated 28 April 2023 following up correspondence on Voter ID and data collection at polling stations
2 May 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Chair dated 28 April 2023 concerning Voter ID and data collection at polling stations
27 Apr 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair of the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 27 April 2023 concerning data collection on numbers of voters turned away at polling stations
26 Apr 2023 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Chair of the Electoral Commission dated 26 April 2023 concerning data collection on voters turned away at polling stations due to lack of ID
18 Apr 2023 To committee Letter from the Electoral Commission to the Chair dated 30 March 2023 concerning recent reports on electoral registration in Great Britain, and attitudes to voter registration