It’s election season in much of England and Wales. Behind the scenes, electoral officials will have been investing enormous amount of hard work and time preparing for the polls. Do they have sufficient resources?

A new policy report, just published by International IDEA, shows how elections are funded across the UK. The system for funding elections in the UK is fragmented, complex and in need of reform. There are significant issues:

• Transparency gaps

• Rising costs

• Delays and disputed reimbursement

• Reliance on civil society contributions

• Insufficient resources

The UK electoral system has Victorian origins and there has been no root and branch review of election funding since it was first established. The next government should take this forward!

Download the report here: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/2024-04/financing-electoral-management-body-and-electoral-activity-costs-in-the-uk.pdf