Transcript Pre-election briefing - Electoral Commission

Briefing for campaigners
Arrangements for the referendum on the voting system
for UK Parliamentary elections
The Aim
To provide an overview of:
• Roles at the referendum
• Referendum campaigning
• Referendum processes
• After the poll
• Campaigners’ expenses
Who does
what?
• The Chief Counting Officer
– Electoral Commission
• The Counting Officer
– Local voting area
• Contact details for the Counting Officer
and his staff
- Phone:
- Email:
Who does
what?
• Referendum agent
The role of
agents
• The process for appointing agents
– Postal voting agents
– Polling agents
– Count agents
• Deadlines for appointment
Referendum
timetable
Referendum timetable
Publication of notice of referendum
Not later than Friday 25 March
2011
Notification of appointment of
referendum agents
Noon on Thursday 7 April 2011
Publication of notice of poll
Friday 8 April 2011
Deadline for receipt of absent vote
applications and for changes to
existing postal or proxy votes
5pm on Thursday 14 April 2011
Registration deadline
England, Wales and Northern
Ireland - Thursday 14 April 2011
Scotland – 15 April 2011
Deadline for new applications to
vote by proxy (not postal proxy)
5pm Thursday 21 April 2011
Referendum
timetable
Referendum timetable
Deadline for notification of
appointment of polling and counting
agents
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Polling day
Thursday 5 May 2011 – 7am to
10pm
Deadline to apply for new applications
to vote by proxy on grounds of
medical emergency
5pm on Thursday 5 May 2011
Replacement for lost/spoilt postal
votes ends
5pm on Thursday 5 May 2011
Alterations to register to correct
clerical error
9pm on Thursday 5 May 2011
Who can
vote?
• Referendum franchise
• Deadline to register to vote
[delete text as appropriate]
– England, Wales and Northern
Ireland - 14 April 2011
– Scotland - 15 April 2011
• Poll cards
The
campaign
Available
resources
• Supply of electoral register and
absent voters lists
• Restricted use of schools and
rooms for public meetings
• Postal voting and the code of
conduct on handling postal
votes
The
campaign
(cont’d)
• Campaign material
- Imprints
- Restrictions and offences
• Reporting alleged offences
during the campaign
Referendum • Postal voting system
processes
- personal identifiers
• Arrangements for postal vote
Postal voting opening sessions [include local
arrangements]
• Code of conduct
Referendum
processes
The poll
• Polling stations open from 7am – 10pm
• Elections office open xam to xpm
(Any queries relating to regulatory issues
or queries about campaign literature please
contact the Electoral Commission)
• Polling station inspectors and their remit
• Tellers
• Polling agents
Referendum
processes
The count
• The count
– Location xx
– Time xx
• Ensure appointments for
Counting agents are submitted
by deadline
• Declaration of the result
After the
poll
• Inspection and supply of marked register and
absent voters lists
– Data copy: £10 plus £1 per 1,000 entries or any
part thereof. Printed copy: £10 plus £2 per 1,000
copies or part thereof
• Campaign spending returns:
– the date by which you must report depends on
how much was spent on your campaign
– £250k or below? – report within 3months
– over £250k? – report within 6months
Contact details
• Elections office – [insert]
• Electoral Commission contacts [delete as
appropriate]
– Party and Election Finance 020 7271 0616
– Eastern and South East Office 020 7271 0600
– London Office 020 7271 0689
– Midlands Office 02476 820086
– North of England Office 01904 567990
– South West Office 01392 314617
– Scotland 01312 250200
– Wales 029 2034 6800
Questions?