Individual Electoral Registration (IER) Electoral Matters Committee 17.7.13

Legislation

• Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 passed by Parliament on 31 January 2013 • IER will now be implemented • Secondary Legislation still in preparation

What is IER?

• From 1 July 2014: Requirement for all persons to register to vote individually as opposed to the current system requiring one person in each household to register all eligible persons • Electors will have to provide personal identifiers- likely to be National Insurance No. and date of birth • Signature not required- enable online registration • Electors only placed on register once personal identifiers have been checked against trusted data sources (e.g. from DWP)

Aims of IER

• Increase public trust in the registration system • Encourage individual responsibility for registration • Introduce more convenient channels of registration • Reduce risk/perception of electoral fraud • Maximising completeness and accuracy of the register

Electoral Year 2013

• July/August- Confirmation Dry Run • Associated Issues: September/October 2013 - Potential reschedule of 2014 Absent Vote Identifier Refresh October to February 2013 - Delayed Annual Canvass

Electoral Year 2014

• 1 July 2014- IER ‘Go Live’ • July/August- Confirmation exercise: • All individuals on Pre-IER register will go through secure process of data matching • ERO writes to successful matches (estimated 70% based on pilots)-registered under IER- no further action needed

2014 Electoral Year (Cont’d)

• ERO writes to non-matches inviting provision of personal identifiers (IER Form) • Household Enquiry Form (HEF) sent to ‘other’ properties

Household Enquiry Forms (HEF)

• Sent to: - Where no current registered elector - New properties - Known that entry on current register is incorrect • HEF aims to identify potential eligible electors (i.e.: to then receive an IER form) • Non-responses followed up by reminders and canvasser personal visits

HEF (Cont’d)

• Completed HEF will be used to identify: - those currently on the register who remain eligible; New occupants or ‘attainers’ (16/17 year olds) who should be invited to register to vote; and - Electors who appear no longer to be resident (their details have been deleted on the returned form)

IER Forms

• Personally addressed individual registration form sent to identified electors • Includes electors identified via the HEF • IER form includes a request that the details of any other occupants residing at the address who have not received an IER form be provided • Non-responses followed up by reminders and canvasser visits

2014 Carry Forward Arrangements

• Electors who fail to respond to the first IER canvass in 2014 will not be removed from the register.

• Electors who fail to respond to the first IER canvass in 2014 correctly will not be removed from the register.

• Ensures such electors are not removed from the register ahead of the 2015 General Election.

• Current absent voters who are not confirmed or fail to register individually by 1.12.14 lose entitlement to absent vote but remain on register.

Electoral Year 2015 (and onwards)

• January to December – Ongoing mail out and chasing IER Forms (Rolling Registration) • July/August- HEF to all properties to establish residents • August to December- Annual Canvass (IER Forms- for individual registration)

Electoral Year 2015 (Cont’d)

• No requirement in 2015 and beyond for electors already registered individually (and whose details have been verified) to repeat the registration process again.

• Authenticated electors will remain registered on a continuous basis unless: - they notify the ERO that their details have changed: or - the annual canvass suggests that they are no longer resident; or - information from other sources prompts further enquiries (e.g. data matching with DWP data)

Data Matching

• Data on Electoral Register ‘matched’ with other data e.g. DWP data • Data returned to ERO with RAG rating: Green Positive match Amber - Matched but not entirely Red - No match • Amber and Red electors can be matched with local data e.g.: Council Tax/ Housing Benefits data

Digital Service

• Government developing a web portal to enable citizens to register to vote online • Data from the secure web portal will be ‘matched’ against DWP data • Results of the ‘matching’ exercise will be accessible to authorities to determine issue of HEF/IER forms

Additional details

• Any IER application received at any time during the year will be subject to the personal identifiers verification process (data matching with DWP data) • IER forms can be sent out at any time of the year • HEF will be pre-populated with names of electors currently registered at the address • Government commitment to fully fund IER implementation • Government aim for transition to IER fully complete by 2016 BUT may amend to 2015 dependent on progress made and ease of transition

Potential issues

• Increased resources required: - rolling canvass - data matching resources (DWP and Local data) - increased mailing out of forms - increased canvassing • Less people registering- reluctance to provide personal information • Accessing hard to reach groups • Lack of public awareness of IER

Current / Imminent Issues

• AGMA collaboration on IER • Cabinet Office Workshops • Cabinet Office/Electoral Commission guidance • Cabinet Office training roll-out • EMS supplier training

Key 2013 timescales

Issue Confirmation of Salford’s transition funding provision for IER implementation Roll out and testing of EMS enhancements for IER Electoral Commission issue guidance on planning for transition Completion of first IER Implementation Progress Report for Cabinet Office Timescale March 2013 £9, 858 April-June 2013 June 2013 June 2013

Key 2013 timescales

Issue Confirmation dry run Timescale July/August 2013 Completion of 2 nd IER Implementation Progress Report Cabinet Office complete Readiness Assessment for all authorities Delayed Canvass commences September 2013 October 2013 October 2013 - March 2014 Cabinet Office confirm whether transition to IER can go ahead based on readiness of authorities 8 November 2013

Key 2014 timescales

Issue May/June 1 July 2014 Timescale Local/European Elections (Dates tbc- likely to be 22 nd May 2014) IER ‘Go Live’ 1 December 2014 Publication of first IER register

Any Questions?