27 July 2001
In the next few weeks, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions will formally invite project bids from local authorities. Officials will be looking for schemes that experiment with remote voting, such as by telephone or over the Internet.
Small-scale pilots of electronic voting have already been run in local referendums, but have not been tested in statutory elections.
Neil Easton, head of policy at the Local Government Association, told Public Financethat he was expecting the DTLR to begin the process over the summer.
The LGA is already exploring ways of using new technology to increase voter turnout in a joint project with the Improvement and Development Agency and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. But Easton warned that this kind of research could be hampered by a lack of resources.
He said: 'We have been encouraging authorities to look at new ways of voting, including remote electronic voting. Systems have been developed to minimise the risk of fraud. But the big question is whether authorities can resource these forms of voting. Councils have had to fund these sorts of pilots themselves.'
The Electoral Commission published a report on July 24 on last month's general election, which identified the 12% drop in turnout to 59.4% as 'the single most important' issue arising from the election itself. The commission is now planning a wide-ranging research programme into the causes of voter apathy.
Its chairman, Sam Younger, gave a ringing endorsement to the use of new technology. 'We also believe that the future lies in finding secure means of extending absent voting through use of telephones and the Internet.'
The report calls for an overhaul in the way elections are staffed and funded, which it says is 'long overdue', and warns of increasing anger among local authorities who say they are not being properly reimbursed for their costs. 'Authorities argue they are having effectively to subsidise elections work from [other] budgets,' the report said.
In a pointed criticism of the major political parties, the commission lays the blame for the public's increasing rejection of democratic politics at the door of elected politicians.
'It is the quality and persuasiveness of the policies put forward by the political parties and their ability to motivate voters that will determine future trends.'
The commission also indicated that it would consider the merits of introducing a 'none-of-the-above' option on ballot forms.
PFjul2001
