Individual Electoral Registration (IER) Electoral Matters Committee 17.7.13

1. Individual Electoral Registration (IER)Electoral Matters Committee17.7.13

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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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)

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Current / Imminent Issues • AGMA collaboration on IER • Cabinet Office Workshops • Cabinet Office/Electoral Commission guidance • Cabinet Office training roll-out • EMS supplier training

19. Key 2013 timescales

20. Key 2013 timescales

21. Key 2014 timescales

22. Any Questions?