Electoral Administration Act 2006

{{Use British English|date=August 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{Infobox UK legislation

|short_title={{nowrap|Electoral Administration Act 2006The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/22/section/79 section 79] of this Act.}}

|parliament=Parliament of the United Kingdom

|long_title=An Act to make provision in relation to the registration of electors and the keeping of electoral registration information; standing for election; the administration and conduct of elections and referendums; and the regulation of political parties.

|statute_book_chapter=2006 c. 22

|introduced_by=Harriet Harman{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo051011/debtext/51011-10.htm#51011-10_head0|title=HC Hansard Vol. 437 No. 42 Col. 169|date=11 October 2005|access-date=2008-06-30}}

|territorial_extent=England and Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland

|royal_assent=11 July 2006

|commencement=Multiple dates{{cite legislation UK|type=si |si=The Electoral Administration Act 2006 (Commencement No. 7) Order 2008 |number=1316 |year=2008 |date=13 May 2008 |access-date=25 January 2022}}

|repeal_date=

|amends=Act of Settlement 1701|amendments=

|related_legislation=

|repealing_legislation=

|status=Amended

|original_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/22/contents/enacted

|legislation_history=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/pabills/200506/electoral_administration.htm

|revised_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/22/contents

|}}

The Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 11 July 2006.

Among its main provisions, the act:

• Provides a legislative framework for setting up a "Coordinated Online Record of Electors", known as "CORE", to co-ordinate electoral registration information across regions.
• Creates new criminal offences for supplying false electoral registration details or for failure to supply such details.
• Allows people to register anonymously on electoral registers if a 'safety test' is passed.
• Requires local authorities to review all polling stations, and to provide a report on the reviews to the Electoral Commission.
• Provides for the making of signature and date of birth checks on postal vote applications.
• Revises the law on "undue influence".
• Allows observers to monitor elections (with the exception of Scottish local government elections, which are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament).
• Reduces the age of candidacy for public elections from 21 to 18.
• Allows for alterations to ballot paper designs, including the introduction of barcodes and pilot schemes for the introduction of photographs on ballot papers.
• Allows citizens of the Republic of Ireland and certain Commonwealth residents the right to stand in elections.
• Changes rules on how elections are run in the event of the death of a candidate, following the events in South Staffordshire at the 2005 general election.
• Provides for the entitlement of children to accompany parents and carers into polling stations.
• Bars candidates from using in their name or description expressions such as "Don't vote for them" or "None of the above".
• Bars candidates from standing in more than one constituency at the same election.
• Allows political parties up to 12 separate descriptions to be used on ballot papers, and allows joint candidature.
• Requires local authorities to promote and encourage electoral registration and voting.
• Amongst other provisions affecting members of the armed forces and other persons with a "service qualification", allows the Secretary of State to extend the period of validity (previously one year) of a "service declaration" by which qualified persons may have their names placed on the electoral register as "service voters";This power was exercised in 2006 to extend the period to three years. {{cite legislation UK |type=si |year=2006 |number=3406 |si=The Service Voters' Registration Period Order 2006 |access-date=25 January 2022}} the Act also imposes new duties upon the Ministry of Defence.
• Removes the requirement for an observer to witness the signing of the security statement of a postal vote.
• Requires political parties to declare large loans. This provision was introduced as an amendment, surviving much parliamentary ping-pong, following the "Cash for Peerages" scandal.

Some of its provisions came into effect upon it receiving assent,per Section 77 of the Act with other provisions commencing on other dates.