Changing Voting Registration Process
I am interested in the requirement to re-register to vote under the new process. I wonder if you would let me know how this new process is going, and give me some feedback and statistics?
I would like to ask for your help with the following:
1. How many people have been asked/sent a letter to re-register in the new process since what start date? (in Brighton & Hove, in the [email address] area)
2. Confirm how many people on May 1st 2014 were registered to vote?
3. Confirm how many people on November 1st 2014 were registered to vote?
4. Confirm how many people on May 1st 2014 were on the Open Register?
5. 4. Confirm to me how many people on November 1st 2014 were on the Open Register?
Warning: This message has not yet been sent for an unknown reason.
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the Register of Electors. The registration of electors is governed by the Representation of the People Act 1983 as amended. Under Section 8 of the Act, the council must appoint an officer of the council to be the registration officer for any constituency or part of a constituency coterminous with or situated in the council’s area. I am the appointed officer for the registration area of Brighton & Hove City Council. My appointment as Electoral Registration Officer is separate to my appointment as Chief Executive and, although appointed by the council, the Electoral Registration Officer’s responsibilities and duties are personal. An example of this is that the register of electors is deemed to be the property of the Electoral Registration Officer, not the local authority.
The Electoral Registration Officer does not carry out the duties on behalf of the local authority but in her own personal capacity. A list of public bodies and local authorities that are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act is available at the following website:
http://www.foi.gov.uk/yourRights/publica...
As you will see, the Freedom of Information Act does not list any person appointed under the Representation of the People Act 1983. It follows that the Electoral Registration Officer, Returning Officer or any other person appointed under the Act are not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Notwithstanding that there is no statutory obligation; I am providing the following information:
1. So far we have sent 27,970 invitations to register and application forms in July 2014; 26,966 in August 201; and 37,265 in September 2014.
2. On 1 May 2014 there were 209,766 people registered to vote in Brighton & Hove.
3. Our system cannot produce statistics based on 1 November, as there is the monthly alteration process in November and October.
However, on 1 September 2014 there were 208,415 people registered to vote in Brighton & Hove.
4. On 1 May 2014 there were 136,237 people on the open register.
5. On 1 September 2014, there were 133,982 people on the open register.
The Electoral Commission have produced a report on the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration so far
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__...
and are due to publish a further review report in February 2015.
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WhatDoTheyKnow left an annotation ()
This request was made by an anonymous user through mySociety's now defunct FOI Register software (https://www.mysociety.org/2014/02/10/bri...). The integration has now been removed. The external URL for the request was http://foi.brighton-hove.gov.uk/requests....