Agenda item

This report presents the recently published proposals for the reform of the annual canvass process in 2020. Members are asked to note the contents of this report.

            In the absence of the Chief Executive, the Group Head of Policy presented the report setting out the detail for changes to the process from previous years, inclusive of a full review of 2018 Canvass.

The key points highlighted to the Sub-Committee were:

§ The annual canvass for 2018 was successfully completed with a response rate of 96.45% against figures of 95.45% in 2017 and 92.53% in 2016.

§ The duties of the Electoral Services Team were revised in 2018 which resulted in clarification of duties with staff retaining some of their new responsibilities in order that the Electoral Services Manager can carry out a broader range of duties.

§ Project planning started earlier than previous years which meant a clear plan was communicated to all concerned, with all deadlines met.

§ The Electoral Commission published new templates that allowed Councils to customise elements of the Household Enquiry Form (HEF). Arun took advantage of this flexibility to more actively encourage online responses.

§ Personal canvassing started earlier in high returning areas, at the first reminder stage. This resulted in positive feedback from canvassers. Lower-responding areas were then canvassed at the second reminder stage. This change meant that Arun was able to use a smaller personal canvassing team, but over a longer period of time.

§  Fully utilised the automated data matching process between Arun’s software supplier and Council Tax which allowed identification and confirmation of vacant properties quickly and easily.

§ Personal canvasser visits were also completed at 99 care homes in the district which led to an increase in the numbers and accuracy of registrations for these residents and, an important consideration for a District like Arun with its particular demographics.

§ A clear focus for the Electoral Registration Team is to decrease the number of people responding by post which would see a decrease in postage costs as well as saving administration time as returns needed to be input by hand into the system. However Arun would still be legally obliged to provide a free postal return service. Arun would need to continue to focus its online service as a multiservice function as the online service allows residents to make additional changes to their details unlike phone or text responses.

§ A review took place with Electoral Registration colleagues from elsewhere in West Sussex in early 2018 a number said that they were trying an incentive approach to encourage the use of the online service based on a prize draw of high street vouchers with anyone being entered who had responded online by a given date. Arun may look into this in the future as savings from return postage are likely to far outweigh the cost of purchasing the vouchers.

§ There were very few complaints about form deliveries, which were dealt with appropriately

§ A thank you to the team for their hard work was given by The Group Head of Policy and the Sub-Committee were in agreement.

Comments from the Sub-Committee were:

§  There was some discussion around the idea of using diagrams to clearly display the voting registration and HEF process for members of the public to ensure clarity of the two stage process of which the Group Head of Policy noted.

§  It was also suggested when consideration would be given to the possible introduction of an incentive to encourage online registration that it also be considered that if vouchers are used then could these be vouchers for local businesses/ supermarkets allowing them to be spent within the Arun District. Along with this discussion the suggestion of linking up on a campaign to support those with limited computer skills and/ or those without access to a computer/ the internet with local Libraries in the Arun District to ensure that all residents who would like to vote online can.

§  A request was made to the Group Head of Policy to ensure that evidence of costing was accurately provided in future reports to allow the Sub-Committee to understand the full impact of savings in this area.

§  The Chairman asked if Arun District Council currently worked with housing developers in terms of providing them with cards to leave at newly built properties detailing the HEF and Voting registration process. It was explained that currently this was not something that Arun District Council do, however there had been a suggestion to introduce a ‘Welcome Pack’ for new developments from a recent meeting of the Electoral Services Team and this would be looked into. Councillor Bower confirmed that Littlehampton Town Council already do this and suggested making contact with them for advice on this.

§  The Sub-Committee requested it be noted that the Electoral Services Team should be commended for their hard work.

The Sub-Committee noted the report.