Moved by
Lord Woolley of Woodford
40: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause—
“Automatic voter registration
(1) Registration officers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that all persons eligible to register to vote in elections in the United Kingdom are so registered.
(2) The Secretary of State must by regulations require public bodies to provide information to registration officers to enable them to fulfil their duty under subsection (1).
(3) Regulations under subsection (2) must apply to the following public bodies—
(a) HM Revenue and Customs;
(b) the Department for Work and Pensions;
(c) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency;
(d) the National Health Service, NHS Wales and NHS Scotland;
(e) schools and further and higher education institutions;
(f) local authorities;
(g) HM Passport Office;
(h) police forces;
(i) the TV Licensing Authority;
(j) Job Centre Plus;
(k) the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Local Communities;
(l) the Department for Transport;
(m) the Department for Health and Social Care;
(n) the Home Office; and
(o) the Ministry of Justice.
(4) Regulations under subsection (2) may also apply to other public bodies.
(5) Registration officers must—
(a) use the information provided by the public bodies listed in regulations under subsection (2) to register otherwise unregistered persons on the appropriate electoral register or registers, or
(b) if the information provided does not contain all information necessary to register a person who may be eligible, contact that person for the purpose of obtaining the required information to establish whether they are eligible to register and, if so, register them on the appropriate electoral register or registers.
(6) If a registration officer has registered a person under subsection (5), the officer must notify that person within 30 days and give that person an opportunity to correct any incorrect information.
(7) Where a person is registered under subsection (5), that person must be omitted from the edited register unless that person notifies the registration officer to the contrary.
(8) Nothing in this section affects entitlement to register to vote anonymously.
(9) The Secretary of State may issue guidance to registration officers on fulfilling their duties under this section.”
Member’s explanatory statement
This new Clause would require registration officers to enter eligible voters on the register, and provide for them to receive the necessary information from a number of public bodies.