As the first set of scheduled polls since the 2024 general election, the 1 May local elections are a move back to electoral ‘business as usual’. We strongly believe now is the time to improve that business for everyone involved.
If candidate nominations could be submitted online, postal vote applications closed earlier in the timetable, and polling day held at the weekend, there would be benefits all round.
These are just a few of the electoral reform ideas outlined in the Association of Electoral Administrators’ (AEA’s) ‘New blueprint for a modern electoral landscape’.
Drawing on the experience of frontline electoral administrators, it outlines more than 50 recommendations for positive change, including:
- an earlier postal vote application deadline of 16 working days before a poll, rather than 11, allowing more time to print, send and return postal voting packs
- considering whether shorter polling hours, weekend voting and larger voting hubs for wider areas – as opposed to more and smaller polling stations – would help voters and increase turnout
- simplifying the candidate nominations process by removing subscriber requirements and reviewing candidate deposit amounts
- reviewing legislation allowing students and second homeowners to register to vote at two addresses
- considering the abolition of burdensome and costly neighbourhood planning referendums.
We also call on governments to bring resilience and capacity to elections by implementing:
- an independent Royal or Parliamentary commission to review core election delivery processes
- a review of all existing electoral law to produce a single Electoral Administration Act that respects devolved nation differences
- a review of supplier capacity to identify and mitigate against potential risk, particularly around print and postal services.
Like the LGA, we are concerned about levels of abuse and intimidation around elections – whether aimed at candidates, campaigners, electoral registration officers (EROs), returning officers (ROs), electoral administrators or polling station workers.
The Elections Act 2022 introduced a new penalty for intimidatory behaviour towards candidates and campaigners.
We continue to call for legislation to include ROs, EROs and their staff. Not to do so would be unconscionable given the experiences many have suffered in recent years.
With voting from age 16 coming to England, and UK polls and new local authorities on the cards for swathes of England, we can’t continue bolting 21st-century voter expectations on to 19th-century infrastructure.
The risk of failure increases with every change made.
Also, as every elected member and returning officer knows, elections run all year round. Simplification of legislation, systems and processes is needed more than ever.
Whether a poll is small and local, or high-profile and national, we all want to see safe, secure and accurate elections in which the public has trust.
Our report suggests ways to make sure that, working together as a sector, we can continue to deliver just that.
- The AEA’s ‘New blueprint for a modern electoral landscape’ can be downloaded for free