Response 617452086

Back to Response listing

Introduction

What is your name?

Name
Nigel Dobson

Are you responding on behalf of an organisation?

Please select one item
Yes
No

May we publish your response?

Please select one item
(Required)
Yes, you can publish my response in full
Yes, you may publish my response anonymously
No, please do not publish my response

Principles

1. Are these the correct aims for electoral legislation and electoral registration?

Please select one item
Yes
No

National and Local Elections

3. Should there be a single piece of primary legislation covering all public elections on the Isle of Man ?

Please select one item
Yes
No

4. Should the House of Keys and Local Authorities have the same term of office?

Please select one item
Yes 4 years
Yes 5 years
No

5. If so, should their elections be held on the same day?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Please provide any comments
To do so may discourage prevent commissioners from standing and prevent unsuccessful Keys candidates serving locally

6. Should the qualifications and requirements for a candidate to stand for election to the House of Keys or a Local Authority be the same?

Please select one item
Yes
No

7. Should the means of absent voting be the same for House of Keys and Local Authority elections (advance, absent and proxy votes)?

Please select one item
Yes
No

8. Should membership of a political party be declared on the ballot paper for Local Authority elections, as it was for House of Keys elections in 2016?

Please select one item
Yes
No

9. Should Local Authority candidates be under the same requirements for candidate expenditure and declaration of donations as House of Keys candidates?

Please select one item
Yes
No

10. Should the rules for Local Authority elections be consistent with the rules for House of Key elections?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Polling Day

11. Should the General Election continue to be held in September?

Please select one item
Yes
No

12. Should polling day continue to be held on a Thursday?

Please select one item
Yes
No
If no, which day of the week should elections be held?
Please select one item
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

13. Should polling stations be open for a different amount of time?

Please select one item
Yes
No

15. Should Tellers/Agents be allowed at the Polling Station?

Please select one item
Yes – Tellers/Agents allowed
No – Tellers/Agents NOT allowed

16. Should all electors have to provide a form of identity when voting?

Please provide any comments
Don’t know

Alternatives to Voting in Person

17. Should the practice of proxy voting continue for House of Keys elections?

Please select one item
Yes
No

18. Should there be Postal Voting as an alternative to the current Advance and Absent Vote systems?

Please select one item
Yes
No

19. Should there be restrictions on who can exercise an Advance Vote?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Returning Officers

20. Do returning officers for House of Keys elections need to be Advocates?

Please select one item
Yes – they need to be Advocates
No – they don’t need to be Advocates

21. Could Government or Local Authority employees act as returning officers for House of Keys elections?

Please select one item
Yes – they can be Government or Local Authority employees
No – they should NOT be Government or Local Authority employees

22. Is it appropriate to have politicians acting as returning officers for Local Authority elections?

Please select one item
Yes – Politicians allowed to be returning officers
No – Politicians should NOT be acting as returning officers

23. Should there be a specific offence of acts of omission/breach of official duty by a returning officer and/or his/her staff?

Please select one item
Yes
No

Election Candidates

24. Should candidates be allowed to provide ‘ordinary’ hospitality at public meetings? (i.e. food and drink)

Please select one item
Yes
No

25. Over what period should a candidate, prospective candidate or individual have to declare any expenditure or donations received prior to a poll?

Please select one item
12 months
Less than 12 months
More than 12 months

26. Is the current limit on expenditure by a candidate of £2,000 plus 50 pence per registered voter appropriate?

Please select one item
Yes
No – Limit should be higher
No – Limit should be lower

27. Should all candidates (successful or otherwise) have to declare their expenditure on their campaign costs?

Please select one item
Yes - all required to declare expenditure
No – not required to declare expenditure

28. Should Government continue to pay for the postage of manifestos, given that there are alternative methods for candidates to promote their policies?

Please select one item
Yes
No

29. Should the definitions for the election offences of bribery, treating and undue influence be revised?

Please select one item
Yes – they should be revised
No – keep as they are

30. Should the use of social media by candidates and parties be covered within the law?

Please select one item
Yes
No

31. Should there be a requirement for any member of the House of Keys or a Local Authority who is standing for re-election to declare any donations made to electors in the 12 months prior to the scheduled date of the election in question?

Please select one item
Yes
No

32. Should there be guidance for candidates linked to a statutory code of conduct for all elections?

Please select one item
Yes
No

33. If so, should such a code contain clear guidance on the provision and placement of posters and other advertising?

Please provide any comments
Yes

Registration of Electors

34. Whose responsibility should it be to ensure that eligible electors are registered?

Please select one item
The individual
A person acting on behalf of the household
Government by using information it already holds

35. Should you be registered automatically, using data or information that the Government already holds?

Please select one item
Yes
No

36. Is a 12 month residency criteria appropriate?

Please select one item
Yes
No

38. Should electoral registration remain compulsory?

Please select one item
Yes – but there should be a right to “opt out” in particular circumstances
Yes – and there should be a criminal penalty for failing to register or supply information
Yes – and there should be a fixed civil penalty
No – not compulsory

39. How often should the electoral register be updated?

Please select one item
Quarterly
Monthly
Annually
Only in the year of a general election

40. Should there be an annual canvass?

Please select one item
Yes – keep it annual
No – just have it in the year of a general election

41. Should there be an edited register?

Please select one item
Yes
No

42. If so, should an elector be deemed to have opted out of the edited register unless they have specifically agreed to opt in?

Please select one item
Yes
No

43. Should anonymous registration be available for people whose safety might be at risk if they appear on the electoral register?

Please select one item
Yes
No

44. Should a first time applicant have to produce proof of identity and/or evidence of their eligibility for registration?

Please select one item
Yes – ID required
No – ID should not be required

45. Should objections to register additions, changes or deletions be able to be made at any time or within a set time period relative to the publication of the register?

Please select one item
Yes – anytime
No – set time period

46. How long before an election should it be possible to register to be able to vote at that election?

Please provide any comments
4 weeks

47. Should it be possible to apply to be added to the register on the day of an election subject to the necessary safeguards and requirements being in place?

Please select one item
Yes
No

48. Should the date for the provision of the register be the same for all elections (i.e. general elections, by elections and local government elections)?

Please select one item
The same for all
Keep as they are

Other issues

49. Should members of the public (registered electors) have the ability to recall elected Members in certain prescribed circumstances?

Please select one item
Yes
No

50. Should there be a fixed period between an employee leaving the service of the Government or a Local Authority before that person can stand as a candidate for election to the same body?

Please select one item
Yes – fixed period should apply
No – they can stand at any time

51. Should a candidate be allowed to stand in more than one constituency/Local Authority area at the same election?

Please select one item
Yes
No

52. Should a candidate have to live within the constituency they wish to represent?

Please select one item
Yes – they have to live there
No – they can represent any chosen constituency

53. Should there be universal guidance for the conduct of election counts to ensure consistency of practice?

Please select one item
Yes
No

54. Should there be an additional process to deal with election complaints which do not fall within the election petition process?

Please select one item
Yes
No