LGA Lib Dems: Draft IER Motion

Changes to Individual Electoral Registration (IER)

The Government’s plans to bring forward the full implementation of individual electoral registration by a year is against the very clear and strong advice of the Electoral Commission.

The London Assembly Group and Liberal Democrats in Wales have been campaigning on the issuehttp://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tories-accused-of-shameful-abuse-of-power-over-electoral-roll-changes-a2925551.html and http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ex-wales-office-minister-accuses-9736495

This is the Electoral Commission Briefing:

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/191120/EC-briefing-ERA-Act-2013-Transitional-Provisions-Order-2015.pdf

The Electoral Commission rarely make statements as strong as this:

“we are disappointed at the Government’s announcement and still recommend that the end of transition should take place in December 2016 as set out in law. We therefore recommend that Parliament does not approve this order.”

Other articles:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/22/outrageous-tory-changes-to-electoral-roll-will-face-challenge-in-lords

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/28/early-move-to-individual-electoral-registration-risks-disenfranchising-19m-people

You may find the draft motion of use in your authority:

DRAFT MOTION ON INDIVIDUAL ELECTORAL REGISTRATION

This council notes that the Government plans to bring forward the full implementation of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) by one year from 1st December 2016 to 1st December 2015, resulting in the deletion of nearly two million names from UK electoral registers, according to the Electoral Commission.

This council recalls that under the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, people who were only on the electoral register as a result of the previous household registration system would remain on the list of voters until December 2016.

While Ministers have the power to bring the date forward, the independent Electoral Commission has given clear advice that doing so would be wrong.

This council accepts the conclusions of the Electoral Commission that:

“Ministers should not make an order to bring forward the end of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.”

This council understands and supports the need for an accurate register but believes the risk of disenfranchising almost 2 million voters is just too great.

Therefore, this council agrees to back moves in the House of Commons and House of Lords to block the deletion of names from the Electoral Register and agrees to write to [NAME OF MP] asking that the original date of December 2016 is adhered to.