The Elections Act 2022 makes a range of changes which will impact on electoral administrators, campaigners and voters. The first tranche of changes, which included the introduction of voter ID and new measures relating to voting accessibility, are already in force but there is a lot more still to come. Many of the second tranche of changes are now in force, or expected to be in force before or by the May 2024 polls, bringing into effect provisions relating to absent voting, overseas electors and postal vote handling. These provisions will apply at UK Parliamentary elections, local elections in England including mayoral elections, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.
With 2024 likely to be a momentous year for elections, councils will need to review and evaluate the impact of the next wave of changes, in the light of the ongoing requirements relating to voter ID and accessibility, identify the specific risks involved and how they will be mitigated. For some councils, this will involve consideration of how to deliver the UK Parliamentary general election as well as scheduled elections in their area.
Join us for our Elections Conference 2024, where we will be exploring the second wave of Elections Act changes including postal vote handling, online absent voting and overseas electors. Sessions will also look at lessons learned from May 2023 and preparing for 2024, an examination of the impact of the voter ID and accessibility provisions, the pre-election period, the role of the RO and minimising the risk of successful challenge, and good practice around polling station processes and management.
This is an essential event for anyone involved in organising, running and monitoring the delivery of elections. Each session will provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts and experience. Whilst the event will be held across one day, all sessions will be recorded, providing the opportunity either to engage for the whole day or to attend selected sessions on the day and then catch up in your own time.
Deputy Chief Executive, Association of Electoral Administrators
Laura is the Association of Electoral Administrator’s Deputy Chief Executive, leading on supporting their 2,200 members prepare for elections in 2024.
Having worked in elections and electoral registration since 2003, Laura began her career in Cambridgeshire, working at South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils before joining the AEA in 2016.
She has worked closely with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Electoral Commission officials on both details of the Elections Act 2022 and plans for the next UK Parliamentary general election.
Senior Lawyer, Electoral Commission
Gilly qualified at Slaughter and May and then worked in corporate finance in New York. On returning to the UK, Gilly joined the legal team at the Ministry of Justice (then the Department for Constitutional Affairs and later the Lord Chancellor’s Department) working on family proceedings rules and then legal services and legal aid reform. Gilly worked for Ofsted from June 2019 until June 2022 when she moved to the Electoral Commission. Gilly leads on electoral administration within the Commission’s legal team.
Consultant, VWV and Returning Officer, Southampton City Council
Mark Heath is a solicitor and consultant at VWV where he specialises in providing advice to clients in the public sector. He is also the Returning Officer at Southampton.
Mark has over 30 years' service within the public sector. Until December 2016 he held the positions of Solicitor to the Council (and Monitoring Officer) for 20 years and subsequently Director of Resources / Director of Place and finally Chief Operating Officer at Southampton City Council.
He became Southampton's Electoral Registration and Returning Officer in 1994, roles he still holds. He has served as Regional Returning Officer for the South-East Region of the UK in various elections and referendums as well as Police Area Returning Officer (PARO) for the Hampshire Force Area. He also sits on various bodies convened by Government and the Electoral Commission that look at electoral law, policy and practice as well as writing and lecturing on the topic.
4-5 Gray's Inn Square
Timothy has appeared in all the most important election law cases of the last twenty-five years and has acted in multiple election petitions in England, Wales and Trinidad and Tobago, which operates under a similar regime. He has advised on elections and related matters in multiple jurisdictions including Scotland, Guyana and Asian jurisdictions.
Timothy was successful appearing for the returning officer in the ‘Literal Democrat’ case, which directly led to the creation of the Electoral Commission. Timothy has acted for returning officers throughout the country and has appeared on behalf of the Electoral Commission. He led in the Supreme Court when the court (exceptionally) considered the boundary between party and personal expenses. He has been closely involved in the elections for the Greater London Authority ever since the body was created.
He has presented and responded to multiple petitions, has sat as an election commissioner and has particular experience of chairing electoral commission matters. Timothy acts for returning officers throughout England and Wales.
Barrister, 4-5 Gray's Inn Square
Vivienne is an election law specialist. She is Assistant Editor to Richard Price OBE QC for one of the leading election law commentaries: Parker’s Law and Conduct of Elections. She has varied experience of election law having acted and advised in a variety of urgent, sensitive and high-profile matters.
Vivienne’s work in election law includes advising as specialist emergency ‘on call’ counsel on election days for local authorities, and advice concerning purdah, electoral registration, disqualification from office, terms of office, validity of votes and local government referendums. Vivienne is ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading junior for local government, administrative and public, and election law.
Deputy Director, Elections Division (DLUHC)
Becca joined Elections Division in May 2020, where she is responsible for the policy and legislative framework that supports UK and English elections. Having begun her career in the charity sector, she joined the Civil Service in 2009 and since then has specialised largely in constitutional and justice policy.
Head of Policy, Electoral Commission
Tom leads the Electoral Commission’s Policy Team, working with members of the electoral community across the UK to research and analyse challenges to well-run elections and referendums, and to develop new ideas for improving elections in future.
Tom has worked at the Commission for more than 20 years, and also spent time working on secondment with the UK Government elections team.
He began his career as a Review Manager with the Local Government Commission for England, working on boundary reviews in many different parts of the country.
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09:30 - 16:00
Online
