Legislation which will strengthen the integrity of elections in
Britain is to be debated in the House of Commons today (Tuesday 7
September).
Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution , is expected to set out in the Commons the government’s
plans to update electoral law. Delivering on a UK-wide manifesto
commitment, the Elections Bill will help safeguard our elections
to ensure our democracy remains secure, fair, modern and
transparent.
Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution, said:
“Voters must be confident, not only that their vote is theirs and
theirs alone, but that their voices are heard and their vote
matters.
“The Elections Bill keeps our elections free and fair and will
ensure democracy across the UK continues to thrive.”
The measures set to be scrutinised by parliamentarians will
protect the rights of electors to vote in secret and without
fear. New laws will strengthen action against intimidation of
voters, by improving and updating the offence of ‘undue
influence’ in electoral law, to prevent people from being coerced
into giving up control over their vote.
The Bill will also toughen sanctions for those convicted of
intimidating political candidates, campaigners and elected
representatives by barring perpetrators from running for elected
office for a period of five years.
The UK is renowned for its democratic heritage, but it is
essential that it is able to keep up with changes in society and
technology so that it remains fit for the modern age.
In the UK, we are stewards of a fantastic democratic heritage,
and as the world moves on, we must move with it, ensuring our
democracy remains fit for the future.
Amid the growth in online political campaigning, the government
will introduce a new digital imprints regime, requiring political
campaign content promoted online by a party, candidate or
campaigner to explicitly show who is behind it. This means voters
know exactly who is informing their political views online.
The Elections Bill will also include measures to reduce the
potential for someone to steal another person's vote by
introducing sensible safeguards for postal and proxy voting. This
will see party campaigners banned from handling postal votes,
putting a stop to postal vote harvesting.
Minister Smith is expected to argue “electoral fraud, at any
level and in any context, is a threat to people’s confidence in
our elections, and to the very fabric of our democracy”.
The Bill will introduce a requirement to show an approved form of
photographic identification before voting at the polling station.
These sensible checks and balances have existed in Northern
Ireland since 2003, helping to stop voter fraud without
compromising the ability to vote, and should apply across the
United Kingdom. For any eligible voter who does not have one of a
broad range of accepted identification documents, a free, locally
issued Voter Card will be available from their local authority.
The Government's wider Elections Bill will also:
-
improve access to voting for electors with disabilities
-
tackle electoral fraud by post and proxy
-
increase transparency and accountability within our elections
-
Empower British citizens living overseas to participate in
our democracy
-
Amend voting and candidacy rules for EU citizens following
our departure from the EU
Robust discussion and freedom of expression has always been a
crucial part of our democracy. Today (Tuesday 7 September), MPs
will have the opportunity to freely debate measures designed to
protect these key principles.
