This week the Electoral Commission published a report on their findings from the May 2023 local council elections in Northern Ireland. Moreover, they have outlined recommendations to further improve the validity and efficiency of future Northern Ireland elections.
Overall, people have positive views of the election:
· A total of 1,380,372 people were registered to vote.
· 86% of people were satisfied with the process of registering to vote.
· 97% of voters were satisfied with the process of voting.
· Four-in-five (80%) were confident that the elections were well-run.
· Voter turnout up two percentage points to 54.7%.
Issues Identified:
· Access to Digital Registration Numbers (DRN) - In this election 73% of rejected applications were due to DRN issues.
· Support for disabled voters – awareness of the support available was low.
· Spending limits – candidates could not produce enough materials resulting in 38% of adults feeling they did not have access to information to make an informed decision.
· Candidate Harassment – 50% of candidates had issues with threats and abuse.
· Campaigning near polling stations – due to unclear guidelines electorate have noted “guidance to stay a distance from polling stations…is widely ignored by some parties.”
· Shortage of electoral administrators – a growing number of recruits dropped out ahead of polling day.
The Electorate Commission’s recommendations are as follows:
1. DRN requirements urgently need to be reviewed given its significant barrier to voting. Legislative change is only viable option to remedy this.
2. Action needed to protect voter trust and confidence in the system through The Elections Act 2022 amendments and creating positive relationships between the PSNI and PSS to ensure instances of abuse towards candidates is limited. Additionally, the UK Government must review the spending limit of campaigns to ensure better connection with the electorate, enabling them to be fully informed prior to casting their vote.
3. Review and update the Code of Conduct for canvassing in the vicinity of polling stations, setting out agreed standards on what is acceptable behaviour.
4. Explore increase of resources and improvements within latter stages of the count process for more efficient and accurate results.
The UK Government should continue to work with the Northern Ireland electorate assessing how it can provide the time and resources to combat these issues effectively.