Committee publication · Correspondence · 5 June 2025 · HC 570
Letter, dated 25 March 2025, from Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive, Association of Electoral Administrators
From: Speaker's Conference (2024)
Inquiry: Speaker’s Conference on the security of candidates, MPs and elections
Summary
Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, responds to the Speaker's follow-up questions on election administration. He outlines the complex regulatory framework governing candidate nomination and data collection under the Representation of the People Act 1983, highlights inconsistencies in how electoral data is shared with police, and identifies challenges in responding consistently to abuse and intimidation of candidates. He calls for legislative clarity on data sharing and improved guidance on identifying and reporting abuse.
Key findings
- Current nomination rules (RPA 1983) require submission of nomination paper, home address form, and consent to nomination, but do not mandate collection of contact details like phone numbers or email addresses—though AROs request these informally to aid administration.
- Electoral Commission guidance permits sharing of personal candidate data with police under GDPR Article 6(1)(e) for election safety, but this introduces inconsistency across the sector as each ARO must consult their Data Protection Officer and allow candidates to opt out.
- Police request for candidate data ahead of 2024 general election created confusion; Stanyon advocates legislative prescription of what information may be collected and to whom it may be shared, rather than relying on non-electoral legislation interpretation.
- AROs lack investigative powers and depend on police and Electoral Commission guidance to handle allegations of candidate abuse and intimidation; current framework lacks clarity on what constitutes abusive conduct versus robust political debate.
- Good practice exists in areas with strong relationships between AROs and police Single Points of Contact (SPOCs), but this experience must be systematized and shared; clear reporting lines and training for all stakeholders are essential.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Peter Stanyon, Association of Electoral Administrators, Electoral Commission, Acting Returning Officers, Police, Speaker of the House of Commons
Notable line
“The request from the police to do so ahead of the 2024 general election therefore introduced confusion and inconsistency across the sector.”
Key Quotes
“The rules under which returning officers and their teams administer elections are complex and were drafted several years ago. They therefore do not necessarily reflect modern ways of working.”
“… there is no provision within electoral law to supply candidate information such as email addresses, phone numbers or suppressed addresses to anyone.”
“… we believe the obvious solution would be to legislate for what information over and above that already required should be collected, and clearly prescribe to which bodies and for which purposes the information may be shared.”
“AROs have no powers of investigation in law, and for clarity of fairness and transparency must not take actions that could lead to mistrust in their independence in delivering safe, secure and fair elections.”
“Such guidance needs to provide clarity over what actions might be considered abusive and intimidatory rather than 'robust' political debate.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗