Section 13 : Education about electoral and democratic systems
56.Section 13 of the Act provides for the Commission to have a role to play in encouraging voters’ participation in the democratic process by enabling it both to carry out programmes of education or information and to provide financial assistance to other bodies carrying out such programmes. The scope of this section is intended to be such that voter education is not restricted to addressing the mechanics of exercising the vote but is also able to address, through attention to the role of government and other elected bodies both at local, national and European level, the purpose and importance of exercising the vote. Any programmes conducted by the Commission under this section may only explain any current or pending electoral systems or systems of local and national government. Subsection (2) defines a ‘pending’ system as a system that has been enacted by Parliament but is not yet in force. The Commission will not be empowered to put the case for alternative electoral systems which have not been enacted by Parliament.
