Labour plans to reform electoral system by introducing automated voter registration

Underneath plans so as to add tens of millions extra individuals to the electoral roll for future elections, Labour is proposing to introduce automated voter registration (AVR).

The plans, which had been first reported in the Guardian, can be a part of a set of electoral reforms already introduced by Labour, together with extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds.

Underneath AVR, individuals are robotically added to the electoral roll from different data, corresponding to passport or tax information. This contrasts with the present system, which includes individuals within the UK needing to register to have the ability to vote.

It’s estimated that 7 to eight million individuals are both incorrectly recorded or lacking on present registers. Many of those individuals are from poorer households, reside in privately rented houses, or are younger.

As youthful individuals are traditionally extra prone to vote Labour, introducing AVR is prone to profit the social gathering.

In Wales, the devolved Labour authorities is already trialling the change to voter registration to find out which is the very best methodology. Welsh Conservatives have opposed the plan, claiming automated registration might trigger “confusion” and other people ought to be capable to register themselves with none issues.

AVR has been adopted in different nations. Within the US state of Colorado, residence to round 6 million individuals, the introduction of the scheme added 200,000 new votes to the electoral register in a single 12 months. In Sweden, these on a inhabitants register compiled by tax authorities are robotically registered. They’re despatched a polling card 30 days earlier than election day. Round 96 p.c of eligible voters are registered in Sweden.

Unlock Democracy, which campaigns for a democratic society that ensures equality and justice for all, advocates for an automated voter registration system.

In its report entitled: Register Each Voter: How Computerized Voter Registration Can Deliver the Forgotten Thousands and thousands Again into our Democracy, the organisation units out how reforms to the electoral system can enhance the variety of residents on the electoral register for a ‘stronger and extra inclusive democracy.’

The report notes how younger individuals are the more than likely to be unvoiced within the UK’s political system, as in comparison with only one in twenty of the over 65s, a 3rd of 18 – 19-year-olds aren’t appropriately registered to vote. The report additionally highlights how registration charges for white voters are at 87 p.c, however for black voters, it’s simply 72 p.c, a determine that has fallen within the final 5 years.

Folks residing in rental houses are much less prone to be registered to vote. Greater than 4 in 10 individuals residing in non-public rented lodging weren’t appropriately registered, in comparison with lower than 1 in 10 of those that owned their very own residence.

2024 is the primary basic election in Britain the place voters have been made to take photograph ID to the polling station. The voter ID guidelines had been rushed by means of parliament for the native elections in Could 2023. The brand new system has been broadly criticised by MPs, the election watchdog, and election directors, specifically as a result of some marginalised teams, together with the unemployed and disabled individuals, have discovered it harder than others to point out accepted ID.

Labour opposed the introduction of obligatory photograph ID for voting however doesn’t plan to get rid of it. As an alternative, the social gathering’s manifesto guarantees to “deal with the inconsistencies in voter ID guidelines”.

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Ahead

The submit Labour plans to reform electoral system by introducing automatic voter registration appeared first on Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate.