DD2557 London Voter Registration Week 2022

1.1. London Voter Registration Week (LVRW) is an established annual programme overseen and funded by the GLA. MD2447 approved initial expenditure for a voter registration pilot project in 2019. Further expenditure for 2020 activity was approved via ADD 2399 and MD 2680; and for LVRW 2021 activity via ADD 2483 and MD 2798.

1.2. Research from the Electoral Commission and the Cabinet Office into the state of electoral registers shows that London has one of the lowest voter registration rates across the UK’s regions and nations. Not being registered to vote has significant consequences for representation and inclusion in London, including exclusion from selection for jury service and increased difficulties in gaining a credit rating.

1.3. The Survey of Londoners shows that one in three 16-to-24-year-old Londoners are not registered to vote; by contrast, 97 per cent of those aged 65 or over are registered. Other under-registered groups are Londoners from a Black ethnic background (83 per cent registered, compared to 94 per cent of White British Londoners); and social and private renters (85 per cent and 86 per cent registered, respectively, compared with 93 per cent of owner-occupiers).

1.4. In September 2019, the GLA worked with statutory bodies, education and third-sector organisations on a pilot programme aimed at reducing inequalities in voter registration among young Londoners, in particular.

1.5. Following the success of LVRW 2019, the GLA built on the lessons learned, and the coalition of support; and delivered LVRW 2020 and LVRW 2021, which engaged traditionally under-registered and under-represented Londoners, namely young people; Black, Asian, minority ethnic and migrant Londoners (including Commonwealth and EU Londoners, in line with voting rights); and private and social renters.

1.6. To collaborate, coordinate and support this work, the GLA established the London Voter Registration Strategic Partnership (LVRSP) in 2019 and continued to work closely with it throughout 2020 and 2021. The LVRSP is made up of representatives from professional and statutory bodies (the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Electoral Commission), and from civil society organisations. The LVRSP continues to be a long-term advisory body and strategic partnership that enables the GLA to maintain close working relationships with statutory bodies, London Councils and civil society on key non-party political, impartial civic and democratic participation. The LVRSP continues to act as a conduit for sharing best practice; reviewing LVRW assets; and supporting the delivery of LVRW activity and its evaluation, especially testing and learning from new approaches to tackle civic and democratic inequality, and thus to inform any future GLA work in this area.

1.7. LVRW 2021 had a soft launch on 15 September, International Democracy Day, while most of the activity took place online between 20 and 26 September, due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. LVRW 2021 was delivered by the commissioned delivery partner Shout Out UK and had the support of all London boroughs, the London Assembly, the Electoral Commission, members of the LVRSP and a pan-London, broad coalition of civil society organisations including, among others, education and youth institutions, (inter)faith groups, community and migrant groups, and renters’ associations.

1.8. Activity was co-designed and co-delivered with under-registered and under-represented Londoners. The week was strongly supported by civil society organisations who shared the social media and education packs (containing digital assets, animations and a video, resources in community languages, and GLA Media and Political Literacy resources) with their beneficiaries and networks, and as part of virtual freshers’ fairs/induction weeks. As a result, LVRW 2021 managed to:

• get more than 74,000 unique engagements with LVRW 2021 social media posts, the vast majority of which contained the link to the Government’s voter registration portal
• reach up to an estimated 1.4m people with the social media and educational packs
• reach 4.7m people via the online campaign
• secure cross-party support, with all London boroughs and the London Assembly supporting LVRW 2021
• bring together 100 civil society organisations as official partners and supporters before the launch, while the week itself saw the organic support of a further 100 civil society organisations and influencers, thus reinforcing the impartial, non-election specific nature of the project.
  

Objectives

2.1 This DD seeks approval to design, deliver and evaluate LVRW 2022. Funding and preparation will run over two financial years.

2.2 In the first phase, from January to March 2022, the GLA will run a competitive tender process to commission a delivery partner to take forward recommendations from LVRW 2021 and to start planning LVRW 2022 (which will be held in September 2022). The objectives for this first phase of work are:

• to build on the lessons learned from the 2019 pilot, LVRW 2020 and LVRW 2021 (to ensure that: accessible, inclusive, representative resources are co-produced and co-designed with under-registered and under-represented communities; resources are impartial, non-election specific, available in various formats (digital, video, print, in community languages) and distributed through various channels and a broad coalition; content is issue and community-focused; and the GLA remains anti-racist in the design and delivery of all LVRW activity)
• to start designing new assets and planning for LVRW 2022.

2.3 Funding for the second phase, from April 2022, is subject to final budget approval for the financial year 2022-23. The objectives for this second phase of work are:

• to collaborate and coordinate with the LVRSP and build a broad coalition of support to deliver LVRW 2022 activity, at scale, across London
• to finalise a diverse set of assets and engage Londoners via social media and education packs
• to engage Londoners via offline voter registration drives, if the public health context permits
• to engage Londoners via an online campaign
• to evaluate activity, review lessons learned and inform activity for LVRW 2023.

2.4 If budget for 2022-23 is not approved, there will be a clear break clause in the contract that will require the provider to hand over assets and other planning materials from phase one to the GLA, and cease any further preparations for LVRW 2022.

Expected outcomes

2.5 The overall expected outcomes of LVRW 2022 (which will be held in September) include:

• raised awareness about civic and democratic participation across London
• a contribution to the increase in voter registration rates among under-registered and under-represented communities, particularly young Londoners; Black, Asian, minority ethnic and migrant Londoners (including Commonwealth and EU Londoners, in line with voting rights); and social and private renters.
  

3.1. Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor and GLA must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are age, disability, gender reassignment pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (the duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only). Compliance with the Act may involve, in particular, removing or minimising any disadvantage suffered by those who share a relevant protected characteristic, taking steps to meet the needs of such people; and encouraging them to participate in public life, or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low, including tackling prejudice and promoting understanding. In limited circumstances it may require treating people with a protected characteristic more favourably than those without the characteristic.

3.2. LVRW has a focus on tackling inequalities and barriers to civic and democratic participation among Black, Asian, minority ethnic and migrant Londoners; young Londoners; and social and private renting Londoners – that is, those who are currently less likely to be registered or represented in the democratic system, many of whom share protected characteristics and have been disproportionally impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This, therefore, reflects the requirements of the PSED regarding removing or minimising disadvantage and encouraging participation in public life.

Key risks and issues

4.1. Table of key risks and issues:

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2. This project is key to delivering on the high-level objective made in the Mayor’s Social Integration strategy, All of Us, to “equip more Londoners to participate in democratic processes”. It builds on the commitments set out in the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, focusing on addressing the inequalities and barriers that are particularly detrimental to civic participation across London, but especially among young Londoners, and require specific interventions.

The Mayor has reconfirmed his commitment to impartial, targeted voter registration activity. LVRW activity sits under the GLA cross-cutting EDI recovery principles and informs the Building Stronger Communities recovery mission.

Consultation and impact assessments

4.3. Consultation and impact assessments:

• since August 2017, the GLA has been running extensive engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders from civil society organisations, electoral administrators and the Electoral Commission
• evaluation reports have been produced and published for the 2019 pilot, LVRW 2020 and LVRW 2021; these contain a quantitative analysis of Cabinet Office data and a qualitative analysis of feedback from the delivery partner, LVRSP members and other coalition partners.
• the plans for LVRW 2022 reflect these discussions and the lessons learned from previous years.

4.4. No conflict of interest was identified in the drafting or clearance of this decision document.

5.1 Approval is being sought for expenditure of £80,000 towards the 2022 LVRW spanning two financial years, as detailed above and summarised in the below table.

5.2 The expenditure will be funded from the Voter Registration programme budget held within the Communities and Social Policy Unit for the respective financial year.

5.3 Funding for future financial years will be subject to the annual budget setting process and is subject to change. Any contracts that commit the GLA in future years are subject to appropriate break clauses.

5.4 The programme sits within the EDI foundation.

6.1. The GLA may do anything that furthers the promotion of Greater London’s social improvement, which may include increasing awareness of, and participation by the electorate in, elections generally, including through increased voter registration rates, particularly among under-registered and under-represented communities.

6.2. Electoral law gives specific statutory responsibilities for voter registration and education about the elections to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in the boroughs and the Electoral Commission. Promoting participation in the electoral process furthers social cohesion and promotes social improvement. The GLA Act 1999 allows the GLA to undertake activities, including those that involve GLA expenditure, that foster cooperation with, or facilitate or coordinate the activities of, such other bodies. The GLA’s promotion of voter registration must be framed in the context of coordinating with the borough EROs and the Electoral Commission’s planned activities.

6.3. The GLA’s activities in this area must at all times be apolitical, and must not be perceived to be associated with the promotion of any political party or individual politician or potential candidate; they must also be kept distinct from the functions of the GLRO, whose actual and perceived impartiality is vital, and who has no role in respect of voter registration.

6.4. The purposes of establishing a LVRSP that includes key stakeholders such as EROs, local authorities and the Electoral Commission are to: provide guidance and advice; avoid duplication of activity; and underline the non-partisan support for the project.

6.5. Encouragement to register, which may be directed at particular areas or groups (under-registered areas and under-represented groups) can occur.

6.6. Legal advice was sought throughout the design and delivery phases of LVRW 2019, LVRW 2020 and LVRW 2021; and will continue to be sought for any activity around LVRW 2022. Regard should be had to the GLA’s pre-election period guidance for the May 2022 London borough elections and the GLA’s Use of Resources Guidance. It is understood that no LVRW communications or publicity activity is planned during this period. It would be unlawful for GLA funds or resources to be used to promote any candidate or political party; and any GLA-funded publications must comply with that restriction and with the Code of Practice on Local Government Publicity. Materials will be reviewed to ensure compliance.