Overview

This bill aims to prevent individuals from registering to vote in more than one constituency for Parliamentary elections in the UK. It mandates that electoral registration officers take steps to ensure only one registration per person per constituency is valid.

Description

The Voter Registration Bill makes it illegal to be registered to vote in more than one constituency for Parliamentary elections. The Secretary of State will create regulations outlining the responsibilities of electoral registration officers (EROs).

These regulations will require EROs to:

• Check if an applicant is already registered elsewhere.
• Inform applicants if they are already registered in another constituency, and that they must choose one.
• Remove the original registration if an applicant selects a new constituency.
• Refuse to register a second address if an applicant chooses to keep their existing registration.

The bill defines "electoral registration officer," "Parliamentary election," and "Parliamentary electoral register" according to existing legislation (Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Interpretation Act 1978).

The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and comes into effect upon receiving Royal Assent.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any new government spending. However, there may be minor costs associated with implementing the new regulations and training electoral registration officers.

Groups Affected

• Electoral Registration Officers (EROs): Will face increased responsibilities in verifying voter registrations.
• Voters: Those attempting to register in multiple constituencies will be prevented from doing so.
• Political Parties: May see changes in their voter registration strategies.

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