Voters will have to register individually
By Jonathan Moore
The government has announced it is trying to crack down on electoral fraud by introducing individual voter registration.
The move will force individuals to have to register themselves as eligible to vote, instead of the current system where the head of a household lists those eligible in the house.
Justice minister Michael Wills described it as a “radical and unprecedented move” for the country.
Because of this, he argued it would only be introduced once the country was ready and would be subject to a timetable of introduction laid out by the Lords when the bill goes to the upper chamber.
“We will legislate to allow local authority electoral registration officers to collect personal identifiers – date of birth, signature and national insurance number – from electors alongside the existing process of household registration,” said Mr Wills.
“This is a profound shift. If we get this wrong and large numbers of people fall off the register, it would be a disaster.
“We can’t have this botched.”
The government’s announcement has been welcomed by electoral groups who see it as an important step in creating a safer and more accurate register.
“We very much welcome this decision to introduce individual registration,” said Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission.
“The right to register to vote is of fundamental importance in our democracy – so important that it’s something for which individuals should take personal responsibility.
“A move to individual registration will also lead to a more accurate and secure electoral register, giving us a firm platform from which we can move to adopt innovative new methods of voting in the future, should parliament wish to do so.”
She said that while this change is something the Electoral Commission has been campaigning towards for years, it would have to be a gradual change and “cannot be done overnight”.
Peter Facey, director of Unlock Democracy, said they welcomed this move and hoped it would bring Britain one step closer to safer elections.
“Individual voter registration is crucial if public confidence in our elections is going to be restored and maintained and we look forward to working with the parties on this reform in the Lords,” he said.
“I appreciate the government’s emphasis on establishing a comprehensive register, although they must not confuse inclusion on the register with political engagement.”
A mandatory individual voter registration is not expected until 2015, although a system which allows voluntary registration using a photo ID will be introduced from 2010 onwards, possibly in time for the next general election.
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