Election Management - The UK Electoral Commission’s Experience

1. Election Management - The UK Electoral Commission’s Experience Peter Wardle Chief Executive United Kingdom Electoral Commission Electoral System Seminar Plitvice, Croatia 29 June 2007

2. The UK Electoral Commission

3. History • 1998 – UK’s Committee on Standards in Public Life report • Public concern about party funding • Recommended: • new controls on party finances • an independent ‘Elections Commission’ to regulate political finance • 2007 – further report from Committee on progress to date

4. UK Electoral Commission • Established by Parliament in 2000 • Reports direct to Parliament • Budget voted by Committee chaired by Speaker of House of Commons

5. Key Responsibilities of the Electoral Commission • Maintains register of political parties • Regulates rules on political finance • Provides guidance, and sets standards of performance, for: • managing the electoral roll • managing elections • NB in the UK the electoral roll and elections themselves are managed by independent local officials, not by the Electoral Commission • Reports on the conduct of elections • Provides public information on voter registration and voting

6. Electoral Commissioners • 6 Commissioners • Non-partisan: no political party activity during last 10 years • Appointed through open competition, with high security of tenure • Current Commissioners’ experience: • 2 from broadcasting • 2 from local government • 1 from regulation and community involvement • 1 vacancy (previously an academic lawyer)

7. Relations with political parties • Statutory “Parliamentary Parties Panel” for liaison between Commission and political parties • Current debate about adding ex-political figures to Commission (6 non-party including Chair, 4 party?) • Pros and cons of ex-political figures on Commission

8. Relations with Government • Independent from Government • Statutory right to be consulted on key elections legislation – views published • Can support or criticise Government actions – key accountability is to Parliament not Government

9. Key Facts • Annual budget: • £24 million • (€36 million, HRK 261 million) • 150 staff

10. Budget by Objectives

11. Political Finance

12. Main controls on political finance - income • Permissible donors to political parties – UK individuals & companies, no foreign donations • National & local donations above £5,000 • (€7,400/HRK 54,000) • Parties must report these quarterly to the Electoral Commission (weekly in run-up to UK Parliament election) • Reports are checked & published

13. Main controls on political finance - expenditure • Limits on campaign expenditure: • local candidates - £10-12,000 per candidate • (€5-18,000/HRK 110-130,000) • national parties - almost £20 million per major party in the year up to a UK Parliament election • (€30 million/HRK 215 million) • Candidate campaign expenditure reported to local election officials • Party campaign expenditure reported to Electoral Commission, checked & published after each major election

14. Main controls on political finance - other • Political parties’ accounts reported to the Electoral Commission & published each year • Third parties – similar rules on registration and campaign spending

15. Current Issues: Political Finance • Sanctions – criminal/adminstrative? • New limits on income (donations) • Lower limits on expenditure • Expansion of state funding? • Electronic reporting?

16. Elections Management

17. Elections Management • Parliament and Government set the legal framework • Local elections management officials administer electoral registration and manage elections • Electoral Commission provides guidance, sets performance standards, and reports on conduct of major elections

18. Guidance for elections managers

19. Training material for poll staff

20. Current Issues: Elections Management • Registration system • Modernisation • Complexity

21. Public Information

22. Election Systems in the UK • UK Parliament (Westminster) - First Past the Post • European Parliament - regional list, pure D’Hondt proportional system • Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly - Additional Member System (AMS) • Northern Ireland Assembly – Single Transferable Vote • Scotland and Northern Irelandlocal government - Single Transferable Vote • Waleslocal government – First Past the Post • London Assembly – Additional Member System, modified D’Hondt formula • Mayor of London - Supplementary Vote system (or FPTP if there are only two candidates) • English local government – First Past the Post

23. % turnoutat UK Parliamentary elections:1959-2005

24. Public InformationFirst Steps • Show the relevance of politics to everyday life • Demonstrate the connection between issues people care about and voting • Encourage turnout

25. UK Parliamentary Election 2005Campaign Objectives • Awarenessof the election • How politics affects voters’ everyday lives • Encourage participation in the political process including: • voting • discussing politics • paying attention to politics in the media

26. 2005“If you don’t do politics…”

27. Public InformationCurrent approach • Stronger focus for Electoral Commission on: • Regulation of political finance • Setting standards for well-run elections • Also • New responsibilty for local elections managers to promote public awareness • Recognising what others do better than us

28. 2007 ElectionsCampaign Objectives • Increase the number of eligible people registered to vote • Increase awareness and understanding of registration, voting systems and elections

29. Target Audiences • Young people & students • Homemovers and renters • Military personnel • Voters resident in other countries • Minority ethnic groups • Elections managers

30. 2007“If you want to vote, make sure nothing stops you”

31. Key results • Over 10,000 calls to the call centre (6,000 in 2006) • Around 186,000 visits to website (www.aboutmyvote.co.uk) (140,000 in 2006) • 63,000 registration forms downloaded from website (31,000 in 2006) • Reached up to 21 million users on top UK websites

32. Summary • Constitutional position of Electoral Commission • Role of Electoral Commission • Issues in political finance and elections management • Public information

33. Key Issues • Electoral Commission – independent or political? • Appropriate and effective sanctions for breaking political finance rules? • Sources of funding for political parties? • Administer elections directly or oversee others? • Public information role?

34. Thank YouPeter Wardlepwardle@electoralcommission.org.ukwww.electoralcommission.org.uk