Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the security of the ballot for early voting pilot schemes.

The Electoral Commission evaluated a small number of early voting pilots in Wales as part of the local council elections in May 2022. There are several potential integrity challenges presented by managing voting over multiple days. These include, ensuring ballot box security overnight and managing the risk of double voting risk.

During the pilots, the Electoral Commission found that Returning Officers and their teams managed risks well, working alongside the police. No concerns were raised with the Returning Officers in relation to the integrity of the polls in the pilot areas by the police or by political parties and candidates.