Page 5 - Chief Executive Report - April 2022
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CORPORATE
Modernisation of the Electoral • The Electoral Commission
Registration Process. • The Commission will be an independent,
The Electoral Reform Bill 2022 was published specialised body tasked with advising the
on 30th March. When enacted, it will provide the Government on electoral matters influencing
legislative underpinning for a range of significant how our electoral system evolves in the future.
electoral reforms in line with commitments in the It will have a significant research and advisory
Programme for Government – Our Shared Future. role in relation to electoral matters and a public
These include: information function. It will also have oversight
• The establishment of an independent Electoral of the electoral register, again supporting the
Commission; integrity of the register and its processes for
• The modernisation of the electoral registration the future. The Commission will be empowered
process; to set standards and make recommendations
• The regulation of online political advertisements; to registration authorities in the administration
and
• Amendments to facilitate voting when Covid-19 of the register and to the Minister in respect of
type restrictions are in place. improving the process.
Of particular relevance to local authorities are the • A cycle of annual reports by registration
authorities will feed into an annual report
provisions relating to the modernisation of the
electoral registration process, which are set out in by the Electoral Commission on the status
Part 3 of the Bill and are designed to take better of the register. That report will include any
account of modern realities such as improved recommendations the Commission considers
access to technology, a more mobile population appropriate to improve the integrity of the
and a better understanding of issues that different register.
people face in exercising their rights. A Shared System For Registration
The core provisions of this Part include: Authorities
• a move to a continuously updated or ‘rolling’ The Bill provides for the designation of a single local
electoral register that can be updated at any authority to manage a shared database for all local
time of year; authorities to use in their registration duties, which
• transparent data sharing provisions that, when established, will allow for a single high standard
combined with the introduction of the use of of security and data protection to apply to electoral
PPSNs in the process, will enable basic data registration data.
checks to improve the accuracy and integrity
of the register, as well as facilitating online Next Steps
applications; The Department has been working closely with the
• provisions to enable the Minister to make local government sector to put in place the practical
regulations to designate a single registration arrangements necessary to ensure that the legislation
authority to manage and maintain a shared can be implemented once the Bill has been passed.
database for all authorities to use (more on that This includes working with the LGMA and DCC in
below); relation to the management and upgrade of existing
• an oversight function in respect of the register systems to ensure the realisation of many of the
for the Electoral Commission with an annual benefits of the modernisation project in the short term,
reporting cycle; as well as regular information sessions with local
• the inclusion of processes for some new cohorts authority staff on progress of the project.
such as pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds Cognisant of the need for awareness of the changes
and anonymous registration for people whose amongst the wider public, the Department intends
safety may be at risk if their name and address to launch a significant communications campaign on
were to be published; foot of the passage of the legislation seeking public
• specific arrangements for people with no engagement with the new processes. The campaign
fixed address; and will focus on the benefits of the modernised system
• an extension of current postal voting and encourage the public to take actions to ensure
facilities to people, who because of mental their information is brought up to date, including
through the provision of new information, such as
health difficulties, are not able to attend PPSNs.
polling stations to vote.
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