There is a “clear anxiety” among returning officers over burden of voting reforms ahead of next election, Parliamentary committee warns

MPs have expressed concern about the increased costs and burdens for councils running elections as a result of upcoming changes to voting rules and regulations set out in the Elections Act 2022.

In a report on electoral registration, the Committee for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities also highlighted a "clear anxiety" among returning officers about the availability and experience of polling station and electoral staff amid retention and recruitment problems currently plaguing councils.

Changes under the 2022 Act were first seen in the May 2023 elections, most prominently the new photo ID requirement for voters.

However, some reforms set out in the 2022 Act have yet to be implemented, such as absent voting and the eligibility to vote for overseas voters and EU citizens, which could see between 3.2 and 3.4 million additional people who can register to vote.

The report warned that these remaining provisions are more complex to introduce than voter ID, "exacerbating the pressures of election time".

It added: "This increases the risk of something major going wrong at a national election, including large numbers of people being turned away or voters not put on the registers in time to vote."

It also noted "with concern" that the Association of Election Administrators (AEA) has said there is still insufficient practical detail on the reforms to prepare for the changes.

As such, the committee recommended that the Government implement secondary legislation immediately to ensure electoral registration officers can plan ahead.

Recruitment issues were also highlighted in the report.

It said returning officers had reported that electoral services staff left their roles prior to local elections in May 2023 because of the extra work involved in checking photo ID and their discomfort with the policy.

One returning officer, who predicted their council will struggle with recruitment, said the local authority will have to improve its offer to staff at a cost.

The LUHC committee said: "We are particularly concerned about the increased cost to local authorities and the unknown impact of work required for the overseas electors change resulting from the Elections Act 2022."

It recommended the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities carry out a new burdens assessment of councils due to the increasing responsibilities and work arising from the 2022 Act.

Any additional funding requirements identified by the assessment should be provided as a matter of urgency, the committee added.

The report also criticised the implementation of photo ID requirements, highlighting the Electoral Commission's estimate that 740,000 people did not vote in the May 2023 local elections due to the requirements.

It called for "urgent action" and recommended that the Electoral Commission carry out an assessment of the impact of the voter ID requirement before the next general election.

The committee also said other forms of ID should be valid at polling stations, such as police warrant cards, emergency services passes and non-London travel passes.

In addition, central and local Government and the Electoral Commission "need to work together" to raise awareness of the need for Voter Authority Certificates prior to the next general election, the committee said.

It also called for changes to how some local authorities communicate the changes to people with disabilities, recommending that the Electoral Commission undertake research to identify effective ways to make registration easier and more accessible.

On this point, the report said: "We find it totally unacceptable that local authorities are contacting people with disabilities without taking into account their communication needs."

Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee, said: "Our voter registration system is creaking. Recent changes such as voter ID have been tacked onto a Victorian era system which is failing voters, political parties, and election officials.

"We need a major review of our election arrangements to boost voter registration and to ensure our elections are seen as credible and legitimate. It is a major and fundamental defect in our democratic system that many millions of UK citizens face being unable to make their voice heard at election time."

Adam Carey