Cabinet Office and 22 councils pilot database scheme to improve electoral registration

The government is to work with 22 local authorities on pilot exercises aimed at improving rates of electoral registration and tackling electoral fraud.

Under the project, electoral registration officers (EROs) will be able to compare names, dates of birth and addresses on their electoral register with those on existing public authority databases.

If names are missing from the electoral register, EROs will offer the individuals the opportunity to add their names. The Cabinet Office said EROs would also be able to investigate further in cases where there are concerns that a name is on the register because of fraud or error.

The government insisted that no new databases would be created and “robust arrangements” would be put in place to ensure all data is stored and handled securely.

The scheme is intended to make the electoral register “more accurate and complete”, according to Mark Harper, Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform.

The government will roll out the project across the country if it proves successful. The pilots are also part of preparations for the replacement of household registration with individual registration in 2014. The government believes individual registration will make the system less vulnerable to fraud.

Harper said: “Registration rates in this country already compare favourably with other democracies, but there is room for improvement. We want to address the issue of under-representation and make sure that everyone eligible to vote is given the opportunity to do so.

“At the same time, we need to ensure we’re also providing an extra safeguard against false and inaccurate registrations. These pilots will test whether or not comparing existing data sets is an effective way of achieving this.”