Originally published on The Conversation

Elections need periodic reform to ensure that they have integrity and fulfil their role in line with the times, and the British government has unveiled its proposals for doing just that.

Britain was widely regarded as one of the pioneers of such democratic electoral reforms. In the late 19th and early 20th century, reform acts extended the franchise to enable more people to vote. Anti-corruption and bribery rules prevented election candidates offering food and liquor for votes.

However, new threats have emerged to elections which means that further changes are needed to ensure that elections fully empower people. Threats can come from from overseas more easily these days – disinformation can spread online and algorithms can be manipulated to support candidates and parties. Money is more easily siphoned around the world into campaigns war chests.

What’s more, millions of people stayed at home at the 2024 general election – which recorded the lowest turnout in years. An estimated 7 million to 8 million people are not on the electoral register.

The weight of these challenges means that UK elections are therefore in urgent need of reform. The government’s representation of the people bill is the legislation that the government is proposing to improve the situation.

What will change?

The biggest proposed change is to allow around 1.7 million 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. This is historic. Governments come and go but changing who can vote in elections will be a lasting part of the political landscape – and something a future government will find difficult to repeal.

When it comes to new threats to electoral integrity, the government is making a change that will probably be welcomed by the public – the move towards automatic voter registration. Surveys show people support the idea idea and it will see many citizens added to the electoral roll without them having to do anything.

It’s a time saver but it also means people won’t end up being turned away on election day because they’ve not managed to register properly. Automatic and assisted forms of voter registration have been shown to increase the accuracy and completeness of the register. Like votes at 16, this will benefit young people most, as only 16% of 16-17s are registered.

The relatively new – and widely criticised – rules on voter ID are also being changed, arguably for the better. People will now be able to use their bank cards as ID rather than being expected to produce photo ID. A change of this kind should make voting much easier. The rules on photo ID have been shown to be discriminatory and a barrier to voting.

There will also be a pilot to try out voting at supermarkets and train stations rather than only at traditional polling stations.

There are also plans to strengthen the rules around political donations. The Electoral Commission will have greater powers to enforce rules and issue sanctions to those who break them. Powers are proposed to allow the commission to issue fines of up to £500,000 when people break the rules – a significant increase on the current £20,000 limit. There will also be tougher sentences for people convicted of intimidation during the electoral period.

What’s missing?

Despite the changes being proposed, the government has failed to address some key problems.

The rules on political finance, in particular, may not go far enough. Companies can currently make donations to political parties, provided that they operate in some way in the UK. The Electoral Commission has warned that foreign money could still be channelled through UK companies into political parties – unless loopholes are closed.

The government has also not taken steps to restore the independence of the Electoral Commission itself, a body which plays a key role in overseeing elections and referendums. It was stripped of its independence by Boris Johnson, in contrast to international best practice. But the bill promises no action on this.

And maybe foremost, Britain’s age-old first-past-the-post electoral system remains untouched. This may not be a surprise – few parties tinker with the rules that bring them to power. But the era of two-party politics that justified first-past-the-post has now gone and support for change is high.

The bill will shortly receive scrutiny within parliament, and detail will need to be fleshed out on how electoral officials implement the changes. These will provide opportunities to further strengthen the bill. But as it currently stands, its passing looks set to take its place as a historic moment for strengthening UK elections.

Toby James, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of East Anglia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.