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The Electoral Commission is commissioning organisations to help sign up the millions of unregistered voters ahead of next year’s local elections in England.
In February, it emerged that more than 7.6 million eligible voters in England and Wales are missing from the electoral roll, according to analysis by the Electoral Reform Society.
As well as having to register individually – unlike some countries which offer automatic voter registration – voters also now have to bring photographic ID to vote in person in Westminster elections, and local elections in England.
Democracy groups estimate that as many as two million adults in Great Britain still lack a valid form of photo ID.
Labour’s winning manifesto this July pledged “To encourage participation in our democracy, Labour will improve voter registration and address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules that prevent legitimate voters from voting.”
The party has committed to expanding acceptable forms of ID, including allowing the use of HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards.
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The manifesto added: “We will increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy, by giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections. And we will protect democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties.”
The King’s Speech this year – the Labour Government’s first legislative plan in 15 years – stated: “My ministers will strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process.”
But no specific legislation has been lined up so far, suggesting Labour may first try to boost registration through non-legal changes. One leading democracy sector source suggested to Byline Times plans for automatic voter registration seem to have been dropped.
Now the Electoral Commission, with a Government that is more pro-reform breathing down their neck – have announced new funding opportunities aimed at increasing democratic participation among under-registered groups in England.
The initiative, which runs until March 2025, offers two types of contracts: up to four Democratic Engagement Projects, with up to £50,000 each offered to organisations with a proven track record of engaging under-registered groups, and up to eight Democratic Innovation Projects, offering up to £10,000 each for piloting “new approaches to democratic engagement.”
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The figure has surged compared to last year’s local elections, raising concerns over discrimination, the UK’s leading election monitoring group has warned
In its tender document, the Commission says it is particularly interested in projects that target groups known to face barriers to voting, including young people, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities.
The tender notes: “The aim of this work is to support organisations to engage with their existing audiences who are not currently registered to vote, and to raise awareness of the new voter ID requirement.
“We will support organisations who ensure under-registered groups have an active involvement in every element of the project to foster a deeper understanding of the democratic process.”
An Electoral Commission spokesperson told Byline Times: “The Commission is procuring services from organisations to increase democratic participation among groups who are under-registered to vote. We want to hear from organisations that work with communities who face barriers to voting.”
The projects will have to increase the likelihood of registration in “under-registered groups”, increase awareness of the voter ID requirements and the availability of councils’ free Voter Authority Certificate, and “build our understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and what has the most impact in increasing awareness of the electoral system.”
Recent research by the Electoral Commission highlighted major gaps in voter registration across different demographic groups.
For instance, only 16% of 16-17 year olds in Great Britain were found to be registered, compared to 70% of 18-34 year olds in England. That creates issues by the time they are able to vote.
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“They seemed to be in complete disarray”
Similarly, registration rates among EU citizens (70%) and Commonwealth citizens (68%) in Great Britain are lower than the national average.
The research also revealed that registration rates vary by ethnicity, with those from white ethnic backgrounds having the highest registration rates. Registration rates among Black ethnic groups have fallen from 75% to 72% since 2019.
Other under-registered groups include people with mental or learning disabilities, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and individuals who have recently moved house or live in rented accommodation.
Potential initiatives could range from traditional education interventions to tech-based solutions and community events.
The tender doc adds: “We welcome a wide range of initiatives. We will encourage innovation and creativity from partners, while being mindful of best practice in education and community engagement and taking learnings from existing evidence. Initiatives could include traditional education interventions, initiatives to upskill professionals, events, tech-based solutions, and awareness raising activities. All projects must be fully delivered by 31 March 2025.”
Tom Brake, director of the campaign group Unlock Democracy, told Byline Times: “I welcome anything the Electoral Commission and others can do to boost electoral registration and the awareness of the need for photo voter ID.
“But the simplest solutions are staring us in the face: introduce automatic voter registration and scrap photo voter ID and save money in the process.”
The funding opportunity is initially being run in England only, but the Commission has not ruled out expanding the initiative to other parts of the UK in the future.
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission added the process was “part of the Commission’s long-standing commitment to address under-registration through our ongoing partnership and public awareness work, and follows pilot projects that ran between 2021 and 2023.”
“Our research tells us that certain groups are more likely to face additional barriers to registration and voting, which we hope to address through this partnership work.”
The tender process opened on 19 September, with a deadline for expressions of interest on 3 October. Successful applicants will be notified in early November, allowing projects to commence quickly in the run up to the 2025 May elections. Democracy organisations have welcomed it as an opportunity to close the registration gap.
Update: This piece originally referred to the tender process leading to ‘grants’. The Electoral Commission has clarified that it is contracting for services, not providing grants. We’ve also added a quote from an EC spokesperson.
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Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.
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