Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Electoral Services Manager

Councillor A Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Sports and Parks has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item 

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Electoral Services Manager which informed of the outcome of the 2015 Annual Canvass under the new requirements following the introduction of individual Electoral Registration (IER). Information was also provided on the up to date electorate figures following additional activities following completion of the Canvass.

The briefing note indicated that during the last two years work had been progressing for the introduction of IER which had been monitored by the Electoral Arrangements Advisory Panel. Legislation required the Electoral Registration Officer to send all properties in their area a Household Enquiry Form (HEF) which provided information on who was currently residing at the property aged 16 and above. Potential electors identified on the form were then sent an Invitation to Register (ITR).

From 31^st July,2015 each property in the city received a HEF. Two reminders were hand delivered in August and September to households that hadn’t responded. Any non-responders then received a personal visit during October. The overall response rate to the HEF was 86%. An appendix to the briefing note provided a breakdown, in Ward and Constituency, of the numbers that did not respond to the HEF.

The briefing note also informed of the arrangements for encouraging potential electors to register. ITRs were sent out in August followed by two reminders and then a personal visit to non-responders which commenced in November. 

The Committee were informed of the current engagement activities to encourage registration. They also noted that as set out in legislation the transition to Individual Electoral Registration ended on 1^st December, 2015 and 3,571 unconfirmed electors were deleted from the electoral register and further details were provided about this.

From all the work carried out during the canvass on 1^st December there were 17,889 pending electors in the city. Engagement work was on-going to obtain responses.

Lessons learnt from the first annual canvass since the introduction of IER will be implemented as part of a more comprehensive plan for the 2016 annual canvass. This will also involve closer working with Coventry University, Warwick University, residential care homes, sheltered accommodation, housing association partners, landlords of houses in multiple occupation and other Council Directorates.

Members questioned the officer on aspects of the briefing note and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Clarification regarding the number of unconfirmed electors who had been removed from the electoral register and the measures that had been undertaken to encourage them to register

·  Further details about the number of empty properties in the city including student properties and the issue of foreign nationals

·  Concerns that the details about the way in which properties where no eligible voters have been identified are shown as empty properties could give the wrong message to members of the public implying there were far more empty properties than there actually were 

·  Details about an individual registration case

·  Further information about the issues concerning student halls and student registrations and what could be done to encourage more students to register.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The outcome of the 2015 Annual Canvass be noted.

(2) A briefing note be sent to members providing further details on the 24,585 properties where no electors are registered to vote.