Recommendation 1

It has been twenty years since the Electoral Commission was established and we believe it still plays a fundamental role in overseeing free and fair elections and referendums and regulating political finance, and should continue to do so. However, its ability to effectively fulfil its statutory functions is directly impacted by the unnecessary complexity of the law governing this area. There is a consensus that the law is in urgent need of rationalisation and simplification, and the Government missed an opportunity with the Elections Act 2022 to build an elections framework fit for the modern day. We are concerned by the reluctance from the Government to prioritise the necessary reform of electoral law. Changes to the way the Electoral Commission works will only go so far without a consolidated legal framework for elections and referendums for it to operate within.