A report on the independent investigation into problems with electoral registers in Barnet on the morning of Thursday 5 May 2016 has been published.
Mark Heath, Returning Officer for Southampton, was appointed to lead an independent investigation ahead of the EU Referendum on 23 June.
The findings of Mr Heath’s report, and his recommendations, together with a covering report from the council which sets out the actions taken are published here
This will be discussed by members of the General Functions Committee on 9 June.
Mr Heath, a solicitor and Returning Officer since 1994, was recommended by London Councils due to his experience in electoral matters. Mr Heath also serves on several Government and Electoral Commission groups on electoral law, policy and practice.
As part of his investigation Mr Heath reviewed a dossier of information from residents impacted by problems on the day which was collected through the council’s website and over the phone. As well as receiving written evidence and conducting face to face interviews with a number of staff involved in the election process in Barnet, Mr Heath spoke to other individuals, bodies and organisations including the Electoral Commission, the Greater London Returning Officer’s Office, the Chief Counting Officer and the Regional Counting Officer for London for the EU Referendum.
Mr Heath’s independent investigation found that human error led to the incorrect electoral registers being printed in the run up to the Mayoral and GLA elections. Subsequently, inadequate checking and escalation processes failed to pick up this error.
The report indicates that the scale of the issue and the impact of the problem in the morning would appear to have affected hundreds rather than thousands of voters with anecdotal evidence showing that some people returned later in the day to vote.
Commenting on his report, Mark Heath said: “The errors that led to the problems with the electoral registers in Barnet on the 5th May were avoidable. Although the incomplete registers were printed as a result of human error, it was inadequate checking and escalation processes that meant these errors weren’t spotted and rectified prior to polling stations opening.
“I have made a number of recommendations in my report to ensure that processes are sufficiently robust ahead of the Referendum and beyond.
“Whilst what happened has raised, quite rightly, serious and significant concerns, I also found that the team at Barnet Council took immediate action to rectify the situation both on the day and subsequently and are committed to restoring confidence and to make sure the electoral system operates with the rigour which the electorate deserve.”
John Hooton, Interim Chief Executive and Returning Officer for Barnet Council, said: “Mr Heath’s investigation highlights a number of failings that led to incomplete registers being supplied to polling stations on the morning of 5 May.
“Human error is always a possibility in any complex process such as elections, which is why it is so important that proper checks are carried out. Unfortunately these checks did not happen sufficiently and I would like to apologise to any voter who experienced problems on the day.
“The purpose of the investigation was to understand what happened and learn from it. We fully accept the findings and action has already been taken to put the recommendations in place to ensure our electoral processes for the Referendum on 23 June are sufficiently robust.
“As part of this process, I have been in liaison with London Councils and the Regional Counting Officer and it has been agreed that John Barradell, Chief Executive of the City of London Corporation, will provide support from the week commencing 30 May. Mr Barradell will be based in Barnet for the equivalent of one day a week. The council is also receiving support from the Regional Counting Officer’s team to review the preparation for the EU Referendum and provide wider assurance as to the effectiveness of the election management arrangements.
“After the EU referendum, a full review of the elections function will be undertaken, which will ensure any wider concerns are investigated and addressed where needed.
“As Mark Heath’s report highlights, Barnet has performed consistently against Electoral Commission standards for delivering elections and I want to assure residents that we will take all necessary steps to ensure an incident of this nature does not happen again.”