Increasing demands on the system could put future general election result in doubt, say MPs
The 2024 General Election was well run but there are concerns that the ‘fabric may not hold’ if a future election result is close as the system comes under increasing pressure, a new report by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has found.
MPs on the Committee were content with the overall administration of last year’s election but highlighted several challenges for the sector, such as the complex state of electoral law, a shrinking number of external suppliers and an increased workload for electoral administrators.
In a strategy published last week, the Government said it would attempt to ease the burden on election workers by extending certain deadlines. The Committee is supportive of this change but urges the Government to go further to alleviate pressure on the system and the administrators who deliver elections.
In its report, the Committee also highlights the issue of declining turnout. 2024 saw the second lowest General Election turnout since the introduction of universal suffrage, and there are an estimated 8 million people missing from the electoral register.
The Committee found that the declining turnout is partially due to the increasing disengagement of young people from the electoral process and politics more generally.
The Committee welcomed commitments made by the Government to create an automated registration system and encourages them to make this a single register which actively prompts people to register to vote or update their details.
The recommendation will improve the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register and allow for more effective use of data to conduct elections, it said.
“The 2024 General Election was a success but we must not be complacent. I am extremely grateful for all the dedication and hard work carried out by the electoral staff, administrators, civil servants and ministers. The work they do is vital for upholding our democratic system,” said Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Simon Hoare.
“With that being said, our electoral system is at risk of no longer being able to cope as those running our elections are asked to do more and more. The Government must face up to these issues and ensure we continue to have successful elections in the future. If it does not, the price will be a crisis in our democratic system and that must be avoided,” he said.
