'Data matching' trial improves electoral registration

Cabinet Office hails Individual Electoral Registration dry run as a success

Preliminary testing of ‘data matching' for electoral registration has demonstrated that it makes it simpler for individuals to register to vote, the Cabinet Office has said.

Individual Electoral Registration (IER) is a new system which automatically registers people to vote, which compares the electoral register with information held by other public databases, such as that held by the Department for Work and Pensions.

If the voter's record does not match across the databases, they will be sent a letter asking them to register under their new circumstances, such as having changed address.

The Cabinet Office initially predicted that two thirds of voters could be registered in this way, but a dry run by local authorities saw almost four in five people (78 per cent) automatically registered to vote. The new system will also allow people to register online for the first time.

"A lot of hard work and professionalism by local authorities has gone into making sure the switch to Individual Electoral Registration goes smoothly, and we can see that it is really starting to pay off," said Chloe Smith MP, minister for Political and Constitutional Reform.

"The switchover next year is a big change involving almost everybody in the country, and the Cabinet Office is determined to ensure we have the systems in place and the support available for local authorities to deliver a secure and efficient electoral registration system."

Smith added that the move to individual registration will mean a safe, secure electoral register, which is fit for the 21st century.

Peter Wardle, chief executive at the Electoral Commission, praised the trial run of the reforms and the impact of data matching.

"Individual Electoral Registration will be the biggest change to the electoral registration system in more than 80 years. It needs to be implemented carefully and in a way that maximises both accuracy and completeness of the electoral registers – and which puts the voter first," he said.

"The indicative results from the ‘dry run' are important – individual EROs will need to analyse the results in their areas carefully, to inform their plans for implementing IER. This will be even more important in those areas where the match rates are significantly lower than the 78 per cent average."

Individual Electoral Registration will go live across England and Wales from June 2014, before going live in Scotland later in the year.

"IER will give us the opportunity to make sure the register has as many eligible people as possible on it," said a Cabinet Office spokesperson. "It will be more accurate than ever, and we can be sure every individual who is entitled to vote can do so."