Registration and Electoral Administration

22 June 2006

The Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Bill (copy on the Scottish Parliament website) was approved by Parliament today.

It aims to improve the way in which local elections are run and how births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships are registered.

Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform George Lyon said:

"By reforming local electoral services, we will be making elections and the process of voting more accessible to the people of Scotland.

"By improving the registration system we will make it more convenient to register a birth or death by removing the requirement for the registration to take place where the event occurred or where the person lives. Once sufficient security protection is in place, the Bill will allow people to register on-line.

"The Executive has a clear vision for public services to ensure maximum efficiency built around the needs of the Scottish people and this Bill will help us deliver this vision."

Key proposals include:

To modernise the administration and conduct of local elections;
To amend the law in relation to the registration of births and deaths and the procedure in relation to marriages and civil partnerships;
To provide for the recording of births, deaths and marriages occurring outside Scotland in relation to persons with a Scottish connection, enabling these life events to be included as part of their family history records;
To allow notification of births, deaths and marriages to central and local government departments, and to third parties at the request of the customer.

The Bill's proposals follow consultation on both electoral law and registration services.