Mr. Ian Power:

On behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland, NYCI, I want to thank the committee for the invitation to discuss the establishment of an electoral commission. We have addressed a number of issues in our submission but given the time constraints I will focus primarily on our priority areas, namely, the role of an electoral commission in managing voter registration and promoting turnout, especially among young people.

The NYCI has and will continue to promote active citizenship among young people and to empower our peers to participate in our democracy. Many of our member organisations have, over time, consistently organised campaigns to encourage and support young people to have their voices heard and to turn out in elections and referendums.

We particularly welcome the fact voter turnout among people aged 18-25 years has increased significantly since 2002. In 2002, turnout among this cohort was around 50%, while in 2011 it was 62%. Given the obstacles that young people face in registering and in travelling home from places of learning to vote, it is remarkable that this cohort’s participation rate is only 8% below the national average for all age groups. When one considers that, it is clear that young people are engaging in politics, although that is sometimes lost sight of in discussing young people.

Similarly, we warmly welcome the participation of young people in the recent marriage equality referendum. One of the many positive aspects to emerge from that was the engagement of young people not only in the discussions and campaigns beforehand, but also on polling day. Given the number of young people registering on the supplementary register and voting on the day, it is certainly the case that young people do want to take part. We would particularly like to pay tribute to Laura Harmon, the former president of USI for her efforts, and that of USI, for getting out that vote during the campaign.

The NYCI supports the establishment of an electoral commission. As outlined in our submission, we believe many aspects of the electoral system currently function well. Most importantly, they have the confidence and trust of the people. However, we are concerned about the current voter registration system. We are of the view that it is not fit for purpose, as it is under-resourced, inconsistent and inaccurate. Reforming the process will be an urgent priority for the new body. It was designed at a time when the vast majority of the population were born, raised and lived all their lives in the one area. That does not speak to the current population of young people, who are highly mobile.

Our analysis suggests that the means by which the register is currently compiled is leading to the exclusion of greater numbers of young people. In autumn 2014, we commissioned Red C to conduct a poll of young people relating to electoral matters, and particularly voter registration. The poll found that 30% of young people aged 18-25 years were not registered at that time, which is more than double the 14% rate recorded by a similar poll commissioned by the NYCI in 1999. From our perspective, democracy is diminished and undermined when so many young citizens are excluded.

As referenced in a report by the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, entitled Electoral Commission: Overview of the Policy Rationale, evidence from the US suggests that eliminating registration barriers can raise voter participation rates by between 7% and 10%. It also suggests that barriers to young people moving around decreases their participation rate by 17%. It is therefore a major issue for young people. The current annual cycle whereby the revised register is revised and closed annually, requires those seeking to be added to the register during this period to go through a cumbersome process of applying to the supplementary register.

The establishment of an electoral commission would also facilitate the development of a centralised system for online voter registration. While it is currently possible to check if one is registered online, many young people cannot understand why it is not possible to register online. This would not only assist those seeking to register for the first time but would also allow those voters who wish to change the address to which their vote is registered. An online process would reduce the administrative burden on the electoral commission and local authorities.

The establishment of an electoral commission will not solve all these problems unless it is properly resourced. We note from the Department’s consultation document that just over €4.84 million was allocated to local authorities to maintain the electoral register in 2014. We contacted the Electoral Commission in New Zealand to find out how much it invests in its voter registration system as New Zealand has a similar number of electors at 3.1 million, compared to our figure of 3.3 million. Their annual spend on the electoral register is NZ$20.5 million or the equivalent of €12.5 million, which is two and a half times what we spend on maintaining our electoral register. If we want an accurate, complete and user-friendly voter registration system we need to invest in it by employing innovative strategies to maintain it.

We also believe an electoral commission has the potential to play a leading role in research on voter registration and mobilisation. Based on our experience to date, we are of the view that an electoral commission should be empowered to fund campaigns by non-governmental and non-partisan bodies, which are solely concerned with promoting voter participation.

While any reform of the electoral system should, as we outlined in our submission, be progressed in a careful and considered fashion, we ultimately need action. An electoral commission was first promised in 2007 and, as stated by the Government, will not be in place for the upcoming general election. We would like to see a commitment that an electoral commission will be established by 2017 and that such a body is given the powers, resources and time to oversee the next local and European elections in 2019.

I again thank the joint committee for the invitation to attend this meeting. We look forward to having a discussion with the committee members.