Prime Minister's electoral reforms must be "bold", administrators urge

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool in September, Andy Burnham pledged to contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the electoral system, adding that his Government would launch a new national commission on electoral reform.

Burnham said he wished to update elections "so that everyone’s vote counts and everyone’s voice is heard", but did not provide further details.

Responding to the announcement on Friday (2 October), the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) welcomed the move, but called on the Government to do more than just change the voting system.

In an open letter to Burnham, Peter Stanyon, AEA Chief Executive, said the plans offered a "generational opportunity to look wider than voting systems” and modernise the overall delivery of electoral services under a single Electoral Administration Act.

He said that decades of constant change without fundamental reform had made elections "harder than ever to deliver".

"We have long called for a consolidation of electoral law, as recommended by the Law Commissions; however, we no longer believe this is enough.

"Systemic issues must be addressed. The mechanics for delivering democracy must consider the needs of voters and candidates while balancing what is administratively possible."

He added: "We would urge you to be bold and avoid ‘tinkering around the edges’ of a system stretched more than ever before.”

The AEA published a ‘Blueprint for UK electoral reform' in February last year, which recommended longer postal vote application periods, a review of accepted voter ID to potentially include digital formats, and consideration of shorter polling hours.

It also called for a single Electoral Administration Act which respects devolved nation differences.

Adam Carey