Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Acknowledged
Declining voter turnout risks undermining government legitimacy and authority in the UK
Conclusion
The decline in turnout is not an indictment of any one government or party. While it may be uncomfortable for those directly involved in politics and government, the decline in voting risks undermining the authority and legitimacy of government in the UK. Reversing the decline in turnout is a task for the whole of government, Parliament and the wider political system. (Conclusion, Paragraph 28)
Government Response Summary
The government commits to encouraging full participation and addresses specific suggestions for overseas electors by raising significant concerns about their feasibility or viability (such as embassy voting or telephone-based assisted voting). It states some potential recommendations remain under active consideration.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
This Government is committed to encouraging full participation by legitimate voters in our elections. Fixing the foundations of our elections delivery processes, including making changes to help build more resilience into the postal voting system, will benefit all administrators and voters, including those living overseas. Overseas electors continue to be able to vote by proxy, post or in person, and proxy voters are also able to acquire postal votes. Systems and processes for overseas electors were in scope of our recently concluded Review of Electoral Registration and Conduct and were considered by the Review’s Working and Steering Groups as part of this process. The Government notes the Committee’s recommendations on considering the mechanisms available to overseas electors to support them to vote. Regarding the possibility of whether UK citizens living abroad could vote in UK elections at local consular and embassy buildings, there are concerns that this approach would result in significant logistical and administrative burdens that could compromise the efficiency and expediency of elections. This includes how ballot papers for all 650 constituencies would be made available at embassies and how votes would then be counted in a timely manner. Importantly, allowing voting in embassies would remove direct control of the process from Returning Officers, and may limit the opportunity for effective oversight and scrutiny of electoral processes. Proposals relating to introducing telephone-based assisted voting for overseas electors were also raised by the Committee. This would be a significant change to voting at UK elections and would raise a number of technical and logistical issues, which would need to be worked through further to ascertain whether such a process would be viable. While these suggestions were not in scope of the recently concluded Review due to their feasibility, a number of potential recommendations for changes remain under active consideration and may inform future policy development, subject to wider priorities. Accessible Voting