Isle Of Man Electoral Register

[John Wright]

Earlier this year I was appointed by Council of Ministers to conduct an enquiry into why so many people were apparently disenfranchised at the 2006 General Election

 

My terms of reference, fixed by Tynwald, were

 

“That Tynwald views with concern the number of people disenfranchised in the General Election due to the state of the Electoral Register, and calls upon the Council of Ministers to appoint a person to hold an Inquiry into:

 

1. the reasons for that situation;

2. whether the resources allocated to the preparation of the Register were sufficient;

3. whether those responsible for compiling and distributing the Register failed to discharge their responsibilities;

4. whether the procedures relating to proxy and absentee voting were correctly adhered to and need review; and

5. any other matter which comes to the attention of the Inquiry in connection with the conduct of the election;

 

such person holding the Inquiry to have the powers conferred by the Inquiries(Evidence) Act 2003, and to lay the Report of the Inquiry before the October 2007 sitting of Tynwald with recommendations.”

 

I have placed adverts in the IOM Newspapers and with the radio stations. I have written to politicians and returning officers.

 

As an experiment I am posting here. Please feel free to respond. You may post views below, or if you have evidence you may PM me. I can only take into account evidence which has a proper name not an alias and has a means of off forum contact for verification.

 

From my research so far it appears that the 2006 register was a completely new register. No one was carried forward from any previous register (as had previously been the case) and that forms were sent out to every address on the MEA data base. That is to every property address with a meter, and if more than one meter per property one form per meter.

 

I have also checked that there were no backlogs of unprocessed forms at the Registration office or at the post office.

 

It is of course an offence not to have your name on the register and not to send back the form. I can assure you all I shall not be reporting any one, your replies by PM will be confidential.

 

Any comments, suggestions etc gratefully received.

 

As a matter of propriety I shall not answer any posts. I may PM posters to explore their posts hopwever.

 

This is the first time on the Island that part of the research in a matter such as this has been undertaken on a forum web site

 

JOHN WRIGHT

[Albert Tatlock]

Earlier this year I was appointed by Council of Ministers to conduct an enquiry into why so many people were apparently disenfranchised at the 2006 General Election

 

1. the reasons for that situation;

 

It is of course an offence not to have your name on the register and not to send back the form. I can assure you all I shall not be reporting any one, your replies by PM will be confidential.

A adjective 1 disenfranchised, disfranchised, voteless - deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote

 

IMO, people have a right to vote, but they also have a right not to vote - in other words they should have the right to disenfranchise themselves.

 

Although my name is on the register, I do not see why it should be a legal requirement to have my name on it in the first place, a register that in the past has been blatently used for marketing purposes by several companies. I am aware that precautions are now being taken about who has access to the register (thanks mainly to the ODPS), but this is only a relatively recent change.

 

We already have a census to collect this type of data, which people are legally obliged to fill in, which informs the government of their residence. I do not believe people should be forced to vote or coerced to go onto a register, especially if they are not happy with the system i.e. unelected LegCo (on which the people have been crying out for change for years - with nothing done) etc. - so I can understand that some people may see not going on the register as the only 'democratic' way they have of demonstrating their dissatisfaction with the current system.

 

This is simply politicians blaming the electorate - when the likely main cause of 'active disenfranchisement' on the island is the politicians themselves.

[The Old Git]

I wasn't on the register last year because I haven't returned a form in years. I've lived in the same house since 1981, the government have ample evidence of that, and I can't be arsed filling in any more of their forms than I have to. I've voted in every election apart from the one last year. My wife has never voted and has never appeared on the register. The goverment know about her because they've employed her for the last 29 years. I think some of my reluctance in filling our their forms comes from having to do the T14s at work each year and then having to do the annual earnings survey forms. What's that all about? They know how much people earn from the T14 returns without having to send out extra earning survey forms.

 

I'd also add that at work I'm responsible for a property that we bought about 18 years ago and we're never had an electricity bill. This year I tried to sort it out, I took photos of the meter, I went around to the MEA HQ and showed them the photos, told them who we were, and after about 3 months chasing them I've now given up hope of ever getting a bill off them. There are some holes in the MEA database.

[Amadeus]

We all sort-of suspected that they had simply wiped the slate clean and started a new register from scratch - just no-one confirmed it...

 

One thing that came up during the door-to-door bit of my campaign for world dom..South Douglas was that a lot of people either didn't know they weren't on it (mostly grumpy reaction there) or didn't even know how to get on it, or that they had to register - the latter mostly applying to a few younger voters (the new 16+ generation) that thought they were automatically added with their parents. Still plenty of people around that don't want to be on it as well...

[Chinahand]

I think one of the issues is how these data-bases are used.

 

The Old Git has pointed out that the "Government" already knew all about him from all the other forms and tax information he supplied them.

 

The "Government" will reply that there is strict segregation of information and confidentiality and even though the treasury will know down to the penny how much you earn this information will never be passed on to another department etc.

 

The only trouble is this is fudged - the MEA are used to hand over people's addresses, the electoral register is also the Jury Service register etc.

 

The clarity of purpose is lost and people do not disclose information due to not wanting to do Jury Service or whatever.

 

Having an enquiry that just looks at voter registration is all well and good - but it looks to me that the public are confused as to why the government claims not to know about people who have been paying rates or taxes or whatever for years. There is a distrust of providing information to the government, plus by tacking on what is seen to be an arduous service to the voting requirement (ie Jury Service) it provides an even bigger disinsentive.

 

Why must the government collect multiple overlapping data-bases on us all.

 

If Jury service was connected to Tax and not voter registration would more people register to vote and be unable to get out of Jury Service?

 

If the government simplified its data collection it must then be more careful how this information is shared between its various departments, but doing that with openness and clarity would be better than the fudged system we have now.

 

Edited: Typos!

[The Old Git]

The Old Git has pointed out that the "Government" already knew all about him from all the other forms and tax information he supplied them.

 

The "Government" will reply that there is strict segregation of information and confidentiality and even though the treasury will know down to the penny how much you earn this information will never be passed on to another department etc.

 

The only trouble is this is fudged - the MEA are used to hand over people's addresses,

 

When I queried the need for the earnings survey forms when they already had the T14 information I was told that information couldn't be passed from one department to another. I can't help wondering why the department that receives the T14 information can't work out the average earnings from that information, rather than have another department do it all over again with "random" samples.

 

They have the census information, why can't the electoral roll be based on that information?

[Lonan3]

There is a natural resisitance to form-filling - most people don't want to be bothered and keep putting it off.

Adults with reading/writing problems (there are more than you might think - and far more than official sources would ever acknowledge - as I know from when my wife used to help with adult literacy classes) are often driven to despair by the prospect of filling in forms and will do anything they can to avoid doing so.

Flats/apartments - especially the cheaply-converted hovels ones that are often used by social services - normally have a 'communal' area for the delivery of mail. Letters, especially those in 'official-looking' envelopes, can remain unclaimed for a very long time - and anything which is addressed to 'The Occupier' is often completely ignored.

Younger people are often unaware that they have to fill in a form if they want to be registered. I'm assuming that there is no legal requirement for 16/17-year olds to do so as it's the jury service part of the registration that that refers to and (another assumption!) they are not eligible for jury service.

Placing notices in the local newspapers or on Manx Radio will not help to get more younger voters to register - neither of those are especially popular with teens - and active participation in the process needs to be encouraged from other media sources.

Since there is normally a census - or a so-called 'mini census' every five years on the island - which it is a legal requirement to complete - it seems utterly nonsensical to have to add to that with a separate voting/jurors form. Surely the two could be combined? That way, the information could be easily updated.

As for actually persuading people to vote - that is another question entirely. I have always voted - but having witnessed the ridiculous and totally undemocratic antics of our representatives following the last election - I'm inclined to say that I have the same respect for the democratic process as they appear to have and will, therefore, ensure that I 'spoil' my ballot paper next time.

[Sparky]

I must be in the minority because it would appear that wiping the slate clean worked. I've lived here for 8 years now and despite filling in all the forms and questionnaires to get on the electoral role we have never had the opportunity to vote, until this year that is when for the first time ever we got our cards for the polling station.

 

I might add that during the 8 years of living at the same house we have seen none of the elected representatives, or candidates either running up to, or after an election. But I do agree, we are a small Island and seem to have to complete a ridiculous quantity of forms duplicating the same information, but lets hope JUPITER sorts all this out.

[Tarne]

I was at university and didn't get any voting information sent to my Isle of Man address or anything, so it kind of just passed me by.

[Millman]

Albert Tatlock is spot on. Why the hell should we want to vote.

 

The political situation on the island is a joke.

 

- Unelected Legdco.

- Poor Candidates.

- Potentially corrupt politicians.

- Inability of politicians to police themselves.

- Misspending of public money.

- Inability to control capital projects.

- Inability to provide long term plan to ensure the islands future.

- Cronyism and Nepotism.

- Lack of transparency in government.

 

Add this together and the new register proves a great excuse to opt out. Maybe if we all do this that the so called politicians on this island will realise it is time for massive political reform.

 

The problem isn't just the register process, it is that many people are disenfranchised with the current government and the political system itself.

[bluemonday]

1. the reasons for that situation;

2. whether the resources allocated to the preparation of the Register were sufficient;

3. whether those responsible for compiling and distributing the Register failed to discharge their responsibilities;

4. whether the procedures relating to proxy and absentee voting were correctly adhered to and need review; and

5. any other matter which comes to the attention of the Inquiry in connection with the conduct of the election;

 

Answers

1. The usual shambolic f*** up

2. No

3. Yes

4. Look across if you can't work that one out also see answer 1. above

5. Spin it out yessir........

 

Next????

 

PS Spot on Millman and AT - also most of the previous posts.

[Motivator]

God how I hate these political buzz words like people feeling "disenfranchised". Like the rest of the British Isles, people aren't "disenfranchised" with elections on the Isle of Man, they/we are just p*ssed off with Politicians. The general concensus of opinion is that Politicians lie, cheat, they make things up, they manipulate figures, spend far too much time and money on what sounds good - instead of just getting on with the job they're paid (handsomely) to do, and so the list goes on ad infinitum.

 

I haven't a clue what our MHK's are on these days, but I dare say it's far too much for the work they actually do. Let's put things into perspective... We have 24 elected Politicians here, doing the same 'job' that ONE elected Politician does across. Talk about jobs for the boys! Although Manx by birth (and enormously proud of that fact), I spent a number of years living in a large town in Lancashire. We had one paid MP representing the interests of 130,000 members of the general public. Over here we have one paid MHK representing just over 3,000 people on average.

 

It's time we had a complete overhaul of the political system on the Isle of Man. We should have three Local Commissioners for each Parish to deal with very local issues, each paid a retainer of £1,000 a year plus minimal expenses, and five MHK's covering the whole of the Island. Each paid a salary of £30,000 per year plus minimal expenses. That would be one MHK for Douglas, and then one each for the North, East, South and West of the Island. That's it! That's all we need. Instead of which we throw millions and millions of Pounds away each year in employing an additional 19 'career' MHK's. People who don't give a stuff about the welfare of anyone but themselves.

 

But I'm sorry to say that as a nation... and yes the Island IS a nation, we are collectively a bunch of moaners and whingers who think democracy means phoning the bloody Mannin Line. I'm old enough to remember when we stood up for ourselves, and what we believed to be right. But over the last 20 years or so we've become a bunch of servile, lily-livered wet fish. What does it take for people to stand up and be counted these days? For people to insist on having their opinions listened to and acted upon by the people we elect? Grrrr!

[John Wright]

bumped for last few days

 

I will use the material

[nipper]

. . . . .

 

I fear more from a police state and its infringement of my civil liberties than I do from the IRA, Al Quaeda and anyone else who takes direct action against governments who oppress, create war and do not recognise political reality. Who do not talk or try to undestand and compromise.

 

When will we learn.

 

. . . . .

 

If my travel is impeded, it is not the terrorists have won, but the control freaks in power in the so called intelligence services, who want to stop free movement, who want to check where we are all the time.

 

Don't allow that to happen, the end result is far worse than terrorism.

 

John

 

I find it hard to balance out that on the one hand you are involved with matters concerning the compilation of the electoral register on this small but heavily governmentalised Island of Man and on the other you shout down the "control freaks in power in the so called intelligence services".

 

I apologise if this post seems a but obscure, but in its brief lines you should be able to understand at least a little of why many people these days resist including their names onto such a government register. You of all people.

 

Nipper.

[Lonan3]

I spent a number of years living in a large town in Lancashire. We had one paid MP representing the interests of 130,000 members of the general public. Over here we have one paid MHK representing just over 3,000 people on average.

 

And how often were you able to see/talk to that MP? The major difference is that our representatives are far more approachable - your Lancastrian MP would have spent most of his time in London and would have very little time to deal with individuals (unless, of course, they were serious contributors to his/her party's finances.)