Optimizing Voter Data Collection Strategies

Voter ID Data collection Webinar 14 April 2023

Contents Two phases of data collection 4 Electoral Commission VIDEF form 5 Alternative VIDEF template 6 At what level are we collecting data 7 Collecting data by whether there is a Marshall/ greeter 8 Data we are collecting 9-11 The importance of polling station voters split by Marshall/ greeter 12 Other research related to voter ID 13 2

2 phases of data collection Voter ID data deadline 12thMay deadline (you will receive an email on 5thMay) Standard Core Administrative Electoral data 16thJune deadline (Receive an email about on 15thMay) Both available to fill out from election day on our online portal 4

Key to collecting the data we need is the VIDEF form Every polling station should have a Voter Identification Evaluation form which is filled in at every single polling station 5

There is another VIDEF form provided by Shaws. We recommend you don t use this form. If you are using this form, we have produced a guide in the back of our user guide which tells you how to translate data from this form to our VIDEF form. 6

At what level are we collecting data? We are collecting data at a local authority level You therefore need to add up the VIDEF fields for each polling station in your local authority For some fields, in addition to a total level for the local authority, we are asking for a total number for polling stations that had greeters/marshals 7

Collecting data by whether there is a Greeter/Marshall at that polling station On the VIDEF form: This is asking whether that polling station had a marshal/ greeter at the polling station. The Voter Identification Regulations require that all VIDEF data is split by whether there was a marshal/greeter at a polling station. The importance of this is that it allows us to see the extent that having Marshalls/ greeters lowers the number of people recorded as turned away from a polling station. 8

Number of polling station voters The only one of these fields which is not on the VIDEF form is the number of polling station voters: Polling station voters = Ballot box turnout minus postal votes included in the count. This is an important number as this will allow us to generate a proportion of voters turned away on polling day. Need to be able to record at a polling station level (you do not though need to report it to us at that level) 9

Data we are collecting Only at a Total Local Authority Number of polling stations with Greeters/Marshalls How many voters produced a VAC certificate How many voters produced an anonymous electors document How many showed identification in private 10

Data we are collecting Total Local Authority and for polling stations with greeters: 4. Unable to issue a ballot paper (information from voter identification notes sheet section 3) 4a How many voters were not issued with a ballot paper in total? Please rate the accuracy of the number entered for 4a (the number of voters who applied for a ballot paper and were turned away) 4b How many voters produced a document that was not an accepted identification document? 4c How many voters were unable to produce an accepted identification document? 4d How many voters came back and were issued with a ballot paper? Please rate the accuracy of the number entered for 4d (the number of voters who were refused a ballot paper but then later returned & were successful in voting) 5. Refusal to deliver a ballot paper 5a How many voters did the Presiding Officer refuse to issue a ballot paper to? Please rate the accuracy of the number entered for 5a (the number of voters who the presiding officer refused to issue a ballot paper to) 5b How many voters were refused because the Presiding Officer was not satisfied that the identification was of who they claimed to be? 5c How many voters were refused because the Presiding Officer believed the document was a forgery? 5d How many voters were refused because the voter failed to answer a statutory question as required? 5e How many voters came back later and were issued with a ballot paper? Please rate the accuracy of the number entered for 5e (the number of voters who were refused a ballot paper but then returned later to vote) 11

Splitting the number of polling station voters for stations with and without Greeters/Marshalls is crucial Collect at total local authority level and for stations with Greeters / Marshall Without this number for the number of polling station voters for greeters none of the other figures mean anything. Unless we know how many people voted at the polling station we do not have a context for how many people are turned away. 12

Other research related to voter ID We are doing a polling station survey. Link to is here. Please distribute to polling staff. It will be live from 2pm on polling day. There will be a separate survey for Returning Officers/Administrators issued after the election which will ask about your experiences of the poll. If you have any questions get in touch: research@electoralcommission.org.uk 13