British government intent on wiping out 10 million voters from electoral register

[W|M]

Source

As many as ten million voters, predominantly poor, young or black, and more liable to vote Labour, could fall off the electoral register under government plans, the Electoral Commission, electoral administrators and psephologists warned. The changes will pave the way for a further review of constituency boundaries that will reduce the number of safe Labour seats before the 2020 election.

MPs on the political and constitutional reform select committee only realised the implications of the plans following three evidence sessions with election experts over the past week to examine the white paper which proposes to introduce individual electoral registration rather than household registration before the 2015 election.

The committee chairman, Labour MP Graham Allen, said they were "genuinely shocked". Even Tory members such as Eleanor Laing expressed surprise. The policy has been described by Jenny Russell, the chair of the electoral commission, as the biggest change to voting since the introduction of the universal franchise.

Ministers have unexpectedly proposed that it should no longer be compulsory to co-operate with electoral registration officers (EROs) when they try to compile an accurate register, in effect downgrading the civic duty to engage with politics. Russell warned: "It is logical to suggest that those that do not vote in elections will not see the point of registering to vote and it is possible that the register may therefore go from a 90%completeness that we currently have to 60-65%."

John Stewart, chairman of the electoral registration officers, said the drop-off was likely to be 10% in "the leafy shires" but closer to 30% in inner city areas. He said there would be an incentive not to register as the list is used for jury service and to combat credit fraud. He said he expected large numbers of young voters would not register.

The Cabinet Office, overseen by Nick Clegg, which had already decided there would be no household canvass in 2014 to save money, is introducing individual registration before the 2015 general election. The Electoral Commission said the change would mean 10% of the electorate could fall off the register in as many as 300 local authority areas.

The full effect of voluntary individual registration will be felt at the 2020 general election because the constituency boundaries for that election will be based on a voluntary individual register compiled in December 2015.

The projected 30% fall-off in registered voters, weighted towards poorer voters, would require the boundary commission to reduce the number of inner-city Labour seats because the Boundary Commission is required to draw up constituencies with the sole objective of equalising the size of the electorates and not to take into account natural or political borders.

It is already estimated that as many as 3 million people currently eligible to vote do not register even though it is compulsory to co-operate with the compilation of the registry. Although individual registration will be introduced before the 2015 general election, ministers have said the names on the existing household register can be carried over on to the election register, so reducing the impact.

Tristram Hunt, a Labour committee member, said: "These plans show how little this government really cares about democracy or fairness. If they get away with it, the effect on the 2020 general election will make the chaotic boundary review published this week look minor. This is designed to wipe the poor and the young off the political map. We are moving from a notion of registering as part as a civic duty to something akin to personal choice like a Nectar card or BA miles."

Russell said the government's plans had "unforeseen consequences". It is currently an offence, liable to a maximum fine of £1,000, to fail to comply with a request for information from an ERO or to give false information. The Cabinet Office white paper, published in the summer said: "While we strongly encourage people to register to vote, the government believes the act is one of personal choice and as such there should be no compulsion placed on an individual to make an application to register to vote."

Roger Mortimore from pollsters Ipsos Mori warned: "It is a very dramatic change and I am opposed to it. So far there is a political effect, it is most likely to disadvantage Labour", because "people that are least engaged in politics — the poor, the young and the ethnic minorities and all those groups, when they do vote at all are more likely to vote Labour".

What do you think about this? Assuming you are a poor Brit, will you register to vote in the future? What impact can this have on other countries?

 

[History_Buff]

Ok, as a Canadian who's never actually had to 'register' to vote, care to explain what's involved? I just check the little box on my tax return that says 'Allow Elections Canada to use my tax data to register me to vote'. And even if I didn't do that, all I have to do is show up at my polling place with some proof of ID and residency, or barring that, an elector who can prove such things, and will vouch for me.

Given the easy going way we do things here, I've never understood the American, and evidently British, problem of, lets make sure people don't register to vote.

 

[pob]

I'm a very poor Brit and will register to vote in the future, but I actually care about politics

I don't think it will impact on other countries as I don't think any countries are stupid enough to take the lead from our parliamentary system anymore.

 

[Dachs]

hahahahahaha please don't let this government survive a confidence vote

 

[Eretz Yisrael]

Phht...and Im going back to this country to study soon.

Please dont let any more riots happen, cuz this looks like the right catalyst for another one.

 

[Mise]

Why would you link to a stupid plagarised blog post instead of the original Guardian article...? http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/15/shocked-mps-electoral-register-shake-up

 

[Tani Coyote]

If you can't take time out of your day to put your interests in the voting booth, chances are they aren't worth consideration in the legislature, as far as I'm concerned.

The OP makes it sound as if they are introducing literacy tests, poll taxes, etc.

When all they're doing, it sounds like, is getting rid of near-compulsory voting procedures.

Sounds to me like a victory for freedom. You can still register if you want your views to be heard; it's not the end of the world.

All the change does is disenfranchise those who don't care, and I don't see an issue with that.

 

[Mise]

It further disenfranchises and marginalises those who are already disenfranchised and marginalised. That's the point. Politicians should be doing more to engage and enfranchise these people, instead of marginalising them further...

 

[useless]

The Conservatives want us to go down the American route, where it is made more difficult for certain ethnic groups to vote, and for those that disagree with them to vote at all. This shouldn't shock anyone who's been watching the conservatives for any length of time. They're desperate.

 

[Tani Coyote]

It further disenfranchises and marginalises those who are already disenfranchised and marginalised.

I'm not British, so you'll have to fill me in. Exactly how are these individuals already disenfranchised? I was under the impression Britain more or less had given the vote to everyone.

Politicians should be doing more to engage and enfranchise these people, instead of marginalising them further...

I personally am not a fan of compulsory voting. I like the idea of only those who actually want to vote voting, myself. How difficult would it be for these individuals to register? It sounds like they're just making it less convenient.

If a little extra time is enough to keep someone from registering, well... do we really want them having a say?

 

[Silurian]

Ok, as a Canadian who's never actually had to 'register' to vote, care to explain what's involved? I just check the little box on my tax return that says 'Allow Elections Canada to use my tax data to register me to vote'. And even if I didn't do that, all I have to do is show up at my polling place with some proof of ID and residency, or barring that, an elector who can prove such things, and will vouch for me.

Given the easy going way we do things here, I've never understood the American, and evidently British, problem of, lets make sure people don't register to vote.

In the UK each household gets a letter every year in August with a list of the people who are eligible to vote at that address. If someone is new at the address you add them to the list and if someone has left you cross them out. You should also add 17 year olds with their birthday so they will be able to vote when they are 18. You sign it and post it back in the prepaid envelope. If nothing has changed you can confirm online or by text as well.

If you move during the year you can also change where you are registered to vote but you have to contact the local council to tell them.


So I am not sure how this new Tory system is going to work but I can see it causing problems. If they post a letter to individuals rather than houses the cost will double. If you have to contact the council to register there will have to be an advertising campaign to tell people to register which will cost even more. I can just imagine the headline before the next election “Tories Stole My Vote" with picture of old lady who says she did not here about the change.

 

[Winner]

The thread title is hugely misleading. It suggests that the government is actively trying to disenfranchise people, which is not the case here. It's just forcing people do accept more personal responsibility, and I am perfectly fine with that.

If they don't want to register and vote, it's their fault. If Labour isn't capable of mobilizing its supporters, it's its fault too.

My personal opinion: the British voting system sucks anyway, and since you wasted a good opportunity to change it recently, I hope you'll suffer all the consequences.

 

[Mise]

I'm not British, so you'll have to fill me in. Exactly how are these individuals already disenfranchised? I was under the impression Britain more or less had given the vote to everyone.



I personally am not a fan of compulsory voting. I like the idea of only those who actually want to vote voting, myself. How difficult would it be for these individuals to register? It sounds like they're just making it less convenient.

If a little extra time is enough to keep someone from registering, well... do we really want them having a say?

You're arguing that it should be difficult for the sake of being difficult. "We should make anyone who wants to register have to queue for an hour before hand. If they really want to vote, then they should be happy to stand in line for an hour."

We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Why make it harder? What's the point?

 

[kronic]

Why do you need to register for voting in the first place?

 

[Silurian]

Why do you need to register for voting in the first place?

I assume that you show your ID card when you vote.
In the UK you just say your name and address.
There are no ID cards in UK.

 

[Dachs]

My personal opinion: the British voting system sucks anyway, and since you wasted a good opportunity to change it recently, I hope you'll suffer all the consequences.

I think they have been suffering the consequences under the current "coalition" government.

 

[Silurian]

Here is The Electoral Commission’s site on individual registration

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/elections/voter-registration/individual-electoral-registration

 

[Quackers]

Excellent.

 

[brennan]

People who probably don't bother to vote at the moment will be under less pressure to register to vote in the future? Big deal.

 

[Silurian]

People who don't vote are less engaged with society.

Does anybody know what effect individual registration has had in Northern Ireland.