Elections and Electorate Engagement

Elections and Electorate Engagement PDFElections and Electorate Engagement RTF

The initial GLA elections in May 2000 had to be organised in what was, given their scale and complexity, a very short space of time as the GLA Act received Royal Assent only late in the autumn of 1999. They are the 3rd largest single elections in Europe and use three electoral systems. They were the first in the UK to use electronic counting. As a result there were many lessons to be learned and we collected views from the political parties, electoral practitioners, interest groups and the media. The review focussed on issues unique to London and the GLA elections, and made a series of recommendations – for change in the statutory provisions, for enhancement in the management and running of the elections, and for fresh ways of addressing matters of electorate engagement and turnout. The task of taking these forward rests variously with the Greater London Returning Officer, Government, the Electoral Commission and the parties themselves.