The Electoral Administration Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 11 July 2006. The Bill was amended during its passage through the House of Lords to require political parties to declare large loans; this followed the "Cash for Peerages" scandal. However, the Government was defeated by Conservative peers in the House of Lords on two occasions in connection with electoral registration. The Bill went back to the House of Commons, where it was again passed. On return to the Lords, the government was defeated for a second time, whilst the Commons passed it once more. When the Bill went back before the Lords for the third time on 10 July it was finally passed, and went on to receive Royal Assent the following day. Some of its provisions came into effect upon it receiving assent, with other provisions commencing on other dates. 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
Allows for alterations to ballot paper designs, including the introduction of barcodes and pilot schemes for the introduction of photographs on ballot papers
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 of a "service declaration" by which qualified persons may have their names placed on the electoral register as "service voters"; 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.
