Ministers to consider civil penalty in voter registration shake-up

The Government has said there is “a debate to be had” about introducing a civil penalty for failing to return an Individual Electoral Registration (IER) form.

Publishing updated proposals for the move towards individual registration, ministers said registering to vote was a civic duty and the Government would not create new offences criminalising people who do not apply to register to vote. The existing offence of refusing to provide information to an electoral registration officer when required to do so, will be retained.

The Cabinet Office said: “We acknowledge, however, that there is a debate to be had about the suggestion from some respondents that a civil penalty for not returning an IER form should be introduced, and we will work with stakeholders to further inform our thinking.”

Mark Harper, the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, insisted that the IER proposals would improve the accuracy of the electoral register and make it harder to opt out.

Amid claims that the government’s original scheme would have seen a significant fall in the number of registered voters, ministers now plan to use ‘data matching’. This will retain up to two-thirds of those already on the electoral register, according to the Cabinet Office.

The data matching process will see an elector’s name and address compared against other public databases. If an individual’s details ‘matched’ then they will not have to take any action to remain on the register.

“This would create a floor in registration rates and allow the Government to focus efforts and resources on those electors whose details could not be confirmed and those people who are currently not on the register,” the Cabinet Office said.

The revised proposals come after a consultation and a period of post-legislative scrutiny by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee.

Harper said: “The Coalition Government has been clear from the start that the outdated system of household registration should end. Instead, voters should be registered individually so that we have a more accurate and complete register. Ultimately, it’s about empowering people to have their say in politics by voting.

“I am grateful to the select committee and everyone who has taken part in the consultation process, and I am confident we now have a set of proposals behind which we can all unite.”

The Cabinet Office also announced that the canvass scheduled for autumn 2013 would now take place in spring 2014 “in order to ensure that the electoral register is as complete and up to date as possible for the transition”.

A command paper was laid in Parliament last week. A Bill will be introduced in due course.