Question
To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to ensure that electoral registration officers recognise their legal obligation to conduct door-to-door canvassing for the purpose of electoral registration; and what steps have been taken to assess levels of awareness of that duty amongst those officers.
Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have a general duty to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register, including making house-to-house enquiries. There are also provisions in law requiring EROs to follow up any non-responses to household enquiry forms and invitations to register with personal visits.
The Commission provides comprehensive guidance for EROs which sets out their legal duties, including in relation to making house-to-house enquiries, and what they should be doing to comply with these.
In monitoring progress with delivering the transition to Individual Electoral Registration, the Commission’s teams across England, Scotland and Wales are engaging regularly with EROs. This work includes checking to ensure that arrangements are in place to enable the necessary visits to be made and that these visits are then carried out in practice.