This report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance outlines the changes underway to the way in which residents are identified on the electoral register.  The report provides a brief overview of the work associated with the changes and what it means for the residents of Wirral.

The introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) was a Government initiative to transfer the existing property-based electoral register to a new register which would rely on individuals registering themselves. 

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance that had been written for consideration by the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee at its meeting on 15 January 2014.  The report provided a detailed account of a Scrutiny Review that had considered the Council’s preparations for the introduction of IER in 2014. Attached to the report as Appendix 1 was the Scrutiny Review Final Report. 

The report set out the formal process for transferring to IER in summer 2014 and the preparations the Council had made so far.

It was noted that the Scrutiny Review Panel consisted of the following Members:  Councillors Jean Stapleton (Chair), Moira McLaughlin, Denise Roberts and Steve Williams.  It was also noted that the review had provided an opportunity for Members to gain a good understanding of the work being undertaken to mitigate the risk associated with all voters on the register successfully transferring to the new one.

The report informed that the Panel’s assessment was that overall the Council was in a strong position and was likely to have a relatively smooth transfer to IER in 2014.  However, Panel Members were concerned that in some wards, notably those with higher levels of known deprivation, there would be higher proportions of voters not automatically transferred.  It was noted that additional work would have to be undertaken to ensure these voters were successfully transferred.

It was also noted that the Panel was also concerned that these same locations tended to have higher numbers of people not on the electoral register. As such, Members were keen for the IER process to be used as a vehicle to promote electoral registration more generally to encourage those not registered to register.

The Senior Electoral Services Officer was in attendance at the meeting and informed that the Council was in a strong position to implement this scheme, it had been possible to register online since 10 June 2014 and take up had been high.  He also informed that there would be a national publicity campaign which the Electoral Commission would launch in an attempt to boost registration figures.

Members had a number of questions on IER which the Senior Electoral Officer answered as appropriate.  It was noted as a consequence of this that:

·  People who were already on the Electoral Register would be transferred automatically to the new one and would receive individual letters confirming that this had been done and that no further action was required.

·  People who were not on the Electoral Register often had difficulty in opening bank accounts etc.

·  There would also be a local publicity campaign involving the local media.

(Free Newspapers, radio announcements, publications in One Stop Shops and the Council’s website.)

·  Schools, Sixth Form Colleges and interest groups e.g. Magenta Living and other Housing Associations would be informed of the IER process.

·  Advanced copies of the local IER publicity leaflets would be sent to Members of the Committee providing the appropriate wording was received from the Electoral Commission in enough time to do so.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Senior Electoral Officer be thanked for his report and attendance at the meeting; and

(2)  the contents of the Wirral Council’s Preparations for Individual Electoral Registration Scrutiny Review Final Report and the recommendations therein be noted.