News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

Around the World | Current Affairs Commentary | Developments at the ERS | Your Questions Answered | Case Studies

What is the Elections Bill? And why is it an issue?

Earlier this month, the government published its long-awaited Elections Bill which makes changes to the administration and conduct of elections with the stated aim of ensuring that ‘UK elections remain secure, fair, modern, inclusive and...

Posted 23 Jul 2021

The bill fails to tackle the fundamental issues with our electoral law

How can we better regulate our elections? 

Earlier this month, buried amidst the many reactions to the government’s Elections Bill, the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) published its report on regulating election finance, following a year-long inquiry to which we...

Posted 20 Jul 2021

If the government really wants to improve the integrity of our elections, they should consider the findings of the CSPL

Elections Bill: Has the government jumped the gun?

Proposals to reform our election laws are like buses. You wait around ages for one and then two turn up at once. Earlier this week the government published its long-awaited Elections Bill – legislation they...

Posted 09 Jul 2021

Far from improving access to elections, the government’s own elections bill could leave millions shut out

What does the Electoral Commission do?

The Electoral Commission is an independent body established in 2001. Its mandate is limited by what is set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 and subsequent amendments. The Electoral Commission...

Posted 09 Dec 2019

The Electoral Commission is not an all-encompassing democracy watchdog