Lords Electoral Registration Act Committee to take evidence on Northern Ireland and Voter ID
On Tuesday 3 March 2020 the House of Lords Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 Committee will hear from the Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland on electoral registration and voter ID. This will be followed by a session on the UK Government's voter ID plans with three councils who took part in voter ID pilots in England.
Giving evidence to the Committee at 3.30pm will be:
- Virginia McVea, Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:
- Northern Ireland has had individual electoral registration for a longer period than Great Britain. What lessons have been learned?
- How well does the individual electoral registration system work in Northern Ireland?
- What impact has the introduction of online registration in Northern Ireland had?
- How does the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) reach under-registered groups?
At 4.30pm the Committee will hear from:
- Gordon Amos, Electoral Services Manager, Watford Borough Council
- Steve Daynes, Democracy Manager, Braintree District Council
- Charlotte Griffiths, Electoral Services Manager, Woking Borough Council.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:
- What impact have the voter ID pilots had on tackling fraud and the perception of fraud in elections?
- Were any demographic groups more likely to have had issues with access to ID?
- Was voter turnout or democratic engagement affected by the need to bring ID to the polling station?
- Were voters who did not have the required ID helped in any way?
These evidence sessions, which are open to the public, will start at 3.30pm on Tuesday 3 March 2020 in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords. Alternatively, you can watch them on parliamentlive.tv
