Conclusions and recommendations
1. On
the basis of the all the evidence currently available to us, we
are satisfied that the Electoral Fraud Act (Northern Ireland)
2002 has been successful in reducing both the perception among
the electorate of the prevalence of fraud and the actual level
of electoral fraud, so far as it can be measured. The measures
introduced in the Act have served to increase the level of public
confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. (Paragraph
10)
2. We are concerned
by the emerging evidence of a continuous structural process of
decline in the electoral register. Further serious decline would
place the democratic integrity of the electoral system in Northern
Ireland at risk. We recommend that the Electoral Commission should
identify and evaluate the options available for arresting the
decline in the register within the framework of the Electoral
Fraud Act as a matter of urgency. The Electoral Commission should
involve the Chief Electoral Officer in this process in order to
ensure that any recommendations for improvement made are practical
and capable of implementation. (Paragraph 19)
3. We are especially
concerned about the unacceptably low levels of registration in
the 17-24 age group. We commend the initiatives of the Electoral
Office and the Electoral Commission in taking the electoral registration
process to young people in schools, colleges and festivals and
urge that this should be developed further. We recommend that
the Government ensures that extra funding be made available to
develop adequately a full range of outreach programmes to engage
young people. (Paragraph 26)
4. Intensive efforts
must be made to bring about a system in which 17 and 18 year olds
are entered on the electoral register as a matter of course. We
recommend that consideration is given to making electoral registration,
and the electoral process in general, a compulsory part of the
curriculum for 16-17 year olds; and that adults in households
should be made responsible for identifying to the Electoral Office
of Northern Ireland young people of 17 residing in their households
to assist the Electoral Office in making contact with them. (Paragraph
27)
5. We recommend that
the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland reviews its procedures
for dealing with persons with learning disabilities and their
carers with the aim of trying to be more inclusive. (Paragraph
35)
6. The particularly
low levels of registration among young people, less advantaged
social groups, and people with disabilities, are a cause of concern.
We believe that strategies need to be put in place by the Chief
Electoral Officer to increase the level of registration in these
groups. The Northern Ireland Office must also be prepared to make
extra funding available to achieve this. (Paragraph 36)
7. Any electoral registration
system has to balance inclusiveness with accuracy. (Paragraph
42)
8. There is little
doubt that the decline in registrations results largely from the
abolition of the carry-forward mechanism. Ways must be sought
to counter the unfortunate effect of a sound decision. This change
was crucial in eliminating 'phantom' names from the register and
we do not recommend the re-introduction of the former carry-forward
mechanism. It is also our view that the lifespan of the electoral
register should be maintained at 12 months. (Paragraph 43)
9. There is clearly
a need for urgent action, but we believe that alternative and
perhaps unconventional options should be explored. For example,
it could be worthwhile exploring a compromise in which people
who fail to respond to a canvass are excluded from the register
but their details are retained for a further twelve months in
order that they can be canvassed again the following year. Such
a solution might give rise to data protection issues, but it
may be worth considering whether these could be resolved. (Paragraph
44)
10. We are puzzled
that the views of the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Office
of Northern Ireland differ markedly as to whether or not a system
of carry-forward should be implemented. This issue is of considerable
importance to the electoral process in Northern Ireland and we
expect the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Office to examine
the issue together and come to a clear conclusion which best ensures
the integrity of the register. For example, it could be worthwhile
exploring a compromise in which people who fail to respond to
a canvass are excluded from the register but their details are
retained for a further twelve months in order that they can be
canvassed again the following year. Such a solution might give
rise to data protection issues, but it may be worth considering
whether these could be resolved (Paragraph 45)
11. A range of factors,
including apathy, lack of understanding about the system, and
concerns over the disclosure of personal information (particularly
National Insurance numbers) have been suggested as causes for
eligible voters not returning registration forms. Research carried
out by the Electoral Commission suggests that these factors are
vital only in conjunction with the key change introduced by the
2002 Act from household-based to individual registration (Paragraph
46)
12. The Electoral
Office has no way of routinely acquiring information about all
young people reaching the age of eighteen, and those aged 17 and
18 do not automatically receive a pre-printed form but have to
request one. This places the onus on them to play an active role
in achieving registration. The issue of low levels of electoral
registration and turnout among young people is not unique to Northern
Ireland, but it is a major cause for concern if the system of
registration there amplifies such a tendency. (Paragraph 48)
13. The shift from
household to individual registration is one of the key changes
resulting from the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002.
This change was essential to eliminate some of the possible sources
of 'phantom' names on the register. However, this is now one of
the key factors contributing to the low levels of registration
in certain population groups. (Paragraph 49)
14. Apathy and a lack
of engagement in politics is not unique to Northern Ireland and
it is crucial to attempt to stimulate greater participation in
the democratic process throughout the UK. But we believe this
task assumes a special urgency in Northern Ireland where the history
of violent conflict make efforts to ensure that the entire population
feels able to engage in the electoral process a vital factor in
the goal of establishing a fully normal society. (Paragraph
51)
15. We commend the
work that has been done by the Electoral Commission in informing
and educating the public in Northern Ireland about the changes
in the process of electoral registration and in the process of
voting. We believe that regular, hard hitting campaigns to promote
general awareness of the electoral and registration systems amongst
the general population are required to prevent the registration
level dropping. In addition, advertising and outreach campaigns
targeted specifically at young people and vulnerable groups who
have below average registration levels should be developed further
as a matter of urgency. (Paragraph 55)
16. We believe that
the introduction of a requirement for voters to show photographic
ID at polling stations was right and has been modestly successful.
However, a number of voters were unable to cast their votes in
the 2003 Assembly and 2004 European Parliament elections because
they lacked appropriate ID. This consequence is unfortunate and
we recommend that efforts to increase the uptake of the Electoral
Identity Card should be redoubled. Campaigns to remind voters
of the requirement for photographic ID need to be repeated regularly,
particularly ahead of elections. (Paragraph 61)
17. Holding elections
in the period of the annual canvass causes confusion on the part
of the public and places enormous burdens on election staff. We
recommend that the Government should consider amending legislation
to ensure that elections are not called within the annual canvass
period. (Paragraph 63)
18. The present funding
arrangements for the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland are
insufficiently flexible to accommodate new pressures which have
arisen as a result of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act
2002. The Northern Ireland Office needs to fund the Electoral
Office properly in order to enable it to adopt a more focussed
and proactive approach to its vital role in the electoral process.
The Government must give urgent consideration to the present funding
mechanism and level of funding for the Electoral Office and how
this could best be undertaken. (Paragraph 70)
19. The recent changes
to the system of electoral registration present a major challenge
to those responsible for elections in Northern Ireland. The Electoral
Commission concludes its Report on the operation of the Electoral
Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 with a plea that all "stakeholders"
involved with the electoral process need to promote "confidence
in the democratic process". We share this aspiration. The
Electoral Commission and the Electoral Office must take the lead
in effective, focussed co-operation if public confidence is to
be won for the new arrangements (Paragraph 74)
20. It is a matter
for concern that, despite the acknowledgement by the Electoral
Commission of the importance of seamless cooperation with the
Electoral Office and the assertion that the two bodies are working
together closely we have discovered evidence to suggest that their
communication has been poor and that, as a result, resources might
not have been used efficiently and effectively. It is most important
that these bodies work well together to achieve their shared aims,
particularly when the new registration and other electoral arrangements
are bedding down. We recommend that the Government should review
the division of responsibilities between the Electoral Office
and the Electoral Commission to ensure that these are completely
clear to both organisations and that there is no structural impediment
to complete co-operation. (Paragraph 75)
21. The Electoral
Commission recommended that individual registration as well as
the abolition of the carry-forward mechanism should be extended
to Great Britain. In view of the problems identified in this report,
we strongly recommend that the Government follows this advice
only once satisfactory strategies have been put in place in Northern
Ireland for alleviating the problems of under-registration among
particular population groups. (Paragraph 82)
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