Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act 2025

42 Evaluation of registration of electors pilot provision by Electoral Commission

(1) The Electoral Commission must prepare a report on the operation of a registration of electors pilot provision made by regulations under section 40(2) before the day specified under subsection (5) of that section (or such later date as the Commission and the Scottish Ministers may agree).

(2) The report must contain, in particular—

(a) a description of the way in which the provision made by the regulations differed from the provisions which would otherwise have applied (including, for example, by virtue of the Representation of the People Act 1983),

(b) a copy of the registration of electors pilot provision,

(c) an assessment of the success or otherwise of the pilot provision in—

(i) facilitating registration by any persons or any particular description of persons, or

(ii) encouraging more persons, or more persons of a particular description, to register,

(d) the arrangements made under the regulations to assist disabled persons (within the meaning of section 6(2) of the Equality Act 2010) to register,

(e) an assessment of whether persons found the procedures for registration easy to use,

(f) an assessment of whether the procedures provided under the regulations led to any incidence of, or increase in, impersonation or other electoral offences or in any other malpractice in connection with elections,

(g) an assessment of whether provision similar to that made by the regulations should apply generally, and on a permanent basis, in relation to the registration of persons in a register of local government electors maintained under section 9(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 for all areas in Scotland,

(h) any other matter relating to the registration of electors pilot provision as the Scottish Ministers may direct.

(3) In preparing the report, the Electoral Commission may consult such persons as they think appropriate.

(4) The Electoral Commission must, before the day specified under section 40(5) (or such later date as the Commission and the Scottish Ministers may agree)—

(a) send a copy of the report to—

(i) the Scottish Ministers,

(ii) any local authority in whose area the registration of electors pilot provision relates,

(iii) the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and

(iv) where the pilot was proposed by an electoral registration officer under section 41(1)(b), that officer, and

(b) publish the report in such manner as they think fit.