HL Deb 30 May 2002 vol 635 cc1486-8

11.23 a.m.

Lord Mitchell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the results of the postal ballot experiment in the recent local government elections will encourage them to promote the use of online voting in all elections.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, the Electoral Commission's evaluation of the electoral pilot schemes will provide a detailed assessment of the impact of new voting methods, including all-postal ballots and e-voting, to the Lord Chancellor by 2nd August. Early indications are that all-postal ballots can increase turnout and the various electronic means of voting were positively received. We will consider the commission's evaluation carefully before making decisions on the future use of postal voting and e-voting in elections.

Lord Mitchell

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Voter turnout in all elections, particularly among the under-35s, is still depressingly low, even though the use of postal voting in the recent local elections was a qualified success. Does the Minister agree that online voting using the telephone, the Internet and interactive television offers an attractive and convenient alternative—I stress that it is an alternative, not a substitute—to the local polling station and that its adoption will encourage many more people to come out and vote?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, without anticipating the report of the Electoral Commission, the immediate good news is that the electronic voting methods worked—in other words, there were no mechanical or electronic breakdowns. We very much hope that the Electoral Commission will find that they increased voter participation.

Lord Jenkin of Roding

My Lords, is it not now clear that, in the London boroughs at least—I declare an interest as a joint president of the Association of London Government—the range of voting experiments offered across the city resulted in lower average turnouts than in 1998? Is the noble Lord also aware that in authorities that offered postal voting only there were very mixed results—some up, some down? In Newham, which pioneered e-voting online, turnout was also down. When are Ministers going to recognise that tinkering with the voting system will not reverse the widespread disillusionment with politics engendered by this Government's use of spin and evasion?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, that was rather predictable. Of course we do not think that changing the voting system will deal with the very real problems of low voter turnout. These are fundamentally political problems rather than mechanical ones. If that is what the noble Lord is saying, he is entirely right.

However, it would be foolish of us not to see what we can do to make voting easier. That is what the pilots are intended to do. As to the noble Lord's analysis of the London results, let us see what the Electoral Commission says.

Lord Kilclooney

My Lords, does the introduction of e-voting make it easier for one elector to cheat by voting in the place of another elector?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, there have been allegations that widespread postal voting makes it easier to cheat. Those allegations were made in this House last week. I understand that the issue that the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, raised then has been reported to the police, who are investigating. I cannot see how e-voting methods would increase the possibility of personation.

Baroness Hanham

My Lords, following on from the Minster's replies, will the House have an opportunity to discuss the Electoral Commission's report? I noticed him say that "we" will, by which I assume he meant the Government. May we have a firm assurance that the report can be debated in this House and that we can consider the various recommendations from the Electoral Commission?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, as the noble Baroness knows, the Government do not command the time of this House. There will be many opportunities, in the form of Starred or Unstarred Questions or debates, for these matters to be raised by the Opposition or by anybody else. I personally would welcome an opportunity to debate these matters in the House.

Lord Rennard

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the introduction of the secret ballot in 1872 was the most important democratic reform in the history of this country? Is he concerned that some of the experimental methods of voting mean that we can no longer be sure that ballot papers are completed in proper conditions of privacy—or even completed by the right person? Does he agree that proper safeguards need to be introduced to prevent the abuses that have been reported from the recent local elections before any consideration is given to rolling these methods out for further use?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, the possibility of voting other than in a voting booth in a polling station has existed since 1918, when postal voting was introduced. The noble Lord's comments presumably apply to that as well as to the various forms of electronic voting. These are serious matters, which the Electoral Commission will have to consider in producing its report and any recommendations it wishes to make.

Lord Dubs

My Lords, will my noble friend remind us whether the possibility of moving polling day from a Thursday to a Sunday is one of the options before the Electoral Commission? Do the Government have any view on a change that many of us believe would be a significant way of improving turnout?

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, some of us have been arguing that point all our political lives. I do not know whether it is a matter before the Electoral Commission, but I hope that it is. If it is not, there is no reason why, as it is an independent body, it should not put the matter on the agenda itself.