Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Automatic Electoral Registration

16 June 2020 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Judith Cummins Lab Bradford South

Democracy & Elections

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Judith Cummins raised concerns about automatic electoral registration in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The Bill aims to move from a current system to automatic electoral registration using government-held data.
  • More than 9.4 million eligible voters were incorrectly registered or unregistered in 2019.
  • The Bill would require public bodies to share information for voter registration purposes.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Judith Cummins Lab Bradford South

The Bill aims to ensure everyone entitled to vote in the UK can do so by moving from a complicated and incomplete current system to an automatic registration system using data the Government already holds. The right to vote is fundamental, yet more than 9.4 million eligible voters were either incorrectly registered or not registered at all in 2019. Groups like lower-income individuals, BME communities, young people, and renters are disproportionately affected. An incomplete electoral register risks cementing unfairness into the system for eight years during boundary reviews. The current pandemic crisis highlights the need for a robust registration system fit for the 21st century. The Bill would place a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure electoral registers in the UK are accurate and complete, requiring public bodies like HMRC, DVLA, NHS, Passport Office, and local authorities to work together and share information for voter registration purposes.

Other contributors (1)
  • Judith Cummins Lab Bradford South

    The current system of individual electoral registration is failing. An automatic registration system would continuously update the electoral roll using digital data from across government, making it more accurate and reliable. This Bill proposes taking data sets from across government and public services to collect information for the electoral register, such as when someone updates their passport or pays tax. Universities would also be required to collect relevant information and register students living in halls of residence. Safeguards are needed to protect privacy and ensure data security.

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