Individual Electoral Registration – changes voting registration

GingerBob_3 · 6 August 2014 at 2:59PM

Electoral_Commission wrote: »

Hi Tixy,

When registering online, people will need to provide their full name, date of birth and National Insurance number, as well as their full address, including their postcode. The Electoral Registration Officer is required to acknowledge unsolicited applications, the purpose of this being to establish a connection between the applicant and the address. This applies whether the application is online or otherwise. A confirmation letter must also be sent where an unsolicited application is successful. It is an offense to knowingly provide false information to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) punishable by a fine of up to £5000 and/or up to six months in prison.

We hope that answers your question.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Thanks for that reminder. Can't you civil servants ever communicate without adding in a threat of some sort?

Threat or not, it won't wash with the large number of people who won't now be bothered to register at all, but would have been previously added to the register by the head of household. Like I said elsewhere - the whole initiative is a solution looking for a (non existent) problem.

Electoral_Commission · 7 August 2014 at 1:52PM

GingerBob wrote: »

Thanks for the information. Good news if that's the case. Unfortunately the whole new procedure is bad news. For example, at the moment I register my three adult children. The chances of them registering themselves are less than zero. I could sum up the new arrangements by using that well-worn clich! - a solution looking for a problem.

Hi Bob,

The new system has been introduced to encourage people to take individual responsibility for their own vote. The change has also allowed more convenient methods of registration, for example, by internet (or by telephone or in person if offered by the authority). Because the new system asks you for a few more details before you are added to the register – your National Insurance number and date of birth – the electoral register will be more secure and more resistant to threats of electoral fraud.

As well as sending people registration forms we are running lots of activities to let people know about the change and encourage them to register where they need to. The Electoral Commission is also running national mass media public awareness advertising. You can find out lots more about why the system has been introduced on the Electoral Commission website.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Electoral_Commission · 7 August 2014 at 1:55PM

Nick_C wrote: »

Just received a letter from my local (English) council about individual registration. This says "... you have been automatically registered under the new system ... you do not need to do anything now".

This puzzled me, as I have never provided my local council with my National Insurance Number. So how did they get it?

A quick bit of research revealed that local councils have been carrying out a "data matching exercise", marrying up data held by local councils with that held by the DWP!

No mention of this in the letter from the local council, or in the original post in this thread.

Could it be that the Electoral Commission and the councils don't want people to know that they've done this? It smacks of Big Brother. I thought organisations that held personal data had to be up front about how they gathered it? And how can I be sure that my local council has stored my NINo correctly, when I haven't provided it to them and they haven't told me what NINo they have recorded against my name on the Register?

It would have been better if the Council and the Electoral Commission had been open and honest about this.

I have nothing to hide, but this Big Brother mentality, and the patronising attitude of "we know what is best for you" does not it well with me!!

Hi Nick,

In order to register people automatically, local electoral registration staff compared the names on their electoral registers to government records to confirm who people are. This was done carefully through a secure system that has been tested thoroughly. National Insurance numbers were not part of this confirmation process since electoral registration officers do not hold this information. Electors confirmed in this process do not need to take any action – they are still registered and can continue to vote in the same way. These electors will have been sent the confirmation notice referred to above stating that ‘… you have been automatically registered…’.

Only those that could not be confirmed using this process – or new applications – are required to provide a national insurance number. Where an application is made online, the local council will not see the national insurance number. Where an application is made on paper, or directly with the local council, the national insurance number must be redacted by no later than the day that would be 13 months from the date the application was determined.

You can find more information on this on the gov.uk website and the Electoral Commission website.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

usefulmale · 7 August 2014 at 3:00PM

My national insurance number is given to my employer, government departments who hand out benefits and HMRC to administer tax. I am not handing it over to register to vote.

Anyhow, an NI number does not prove eligibility to vote. Is it not possible for, say, an american citizen over here to be issued a NI number for work done here? That person should not be allowed to vote, yet it seems that they can now have an illegal vote.

Nasqueron · 7 August 2014 at 4:12PM

Given all this extra wonderful security can we do something about the fact that we vote by going along (even without the card for the upcoming Police commissionaire one I have, not sure about others) and saying your name and address is sufficient to vote - what if I get there and someone said they were me already - how do I vote or if I prove my ID, how do you discount the vote?

Also, why do your people insist on recording the name of the person alongside the voting slip number meaning you can trace a vote to a person should you wish?

The_Boss · 7 August 2014 at 8:16PM

When will MSE Wendy be editing her inaccurate post?

GingerBob_3 · 7 August 2014 at 8:41PM

The_Boss wrote: »

When will MSE Wendy be editing her inaccurate post?

What's that about, then?

laughingboy · 7 August 2014 at 8:50PM

I recently re-registered on the electoral roll using the online application.

A nice chap at the local council told me I would go onto the electoral roll on the 1st August (I applied near the end of June)

However I have just got a copy of my credit report and it says I am still not on the electoral roll. When will it show up on my credit report?

Thanks

The_Boss · 7 August 2014 at 9:00PM

GingerBob wrote: »

What's that about, then?

See post #17 on this thread.

Electoral_Commission · 11 August 2014 at 10:06AM

Hi Alex,

As I’m sure you are aware from your research into anonymous registration, the Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced the ability for individuals who are at risk of harm if their details appear on the electoral register to apply to their Electoral Registration Officer to be registered anonymously. Applicants would need documentary evidence of a Court Order or attestation from certain persons (police Superintendent or above, Director of Social Services, Director General of the Security Services or the Serious Organised Crime Agency) to support their application.

If an individual is registered anonymously, instead of a name and address appearing on the electoral register a code will be added to the end of the section of the register for their polling district. Political parties would only see that code and not the anonymous elector’s name and address.

It would appear from your query that you do not have the necessary documentary evidence to allow you to register anonymously so I would suggest that you contact your local Electoral Registration Office, who will be able to discuss any other options you might have. You can find their details by visiting aboutmyvote.co.uk

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Individual Electoral Registration – changes voting registration

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