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General election: Proposal for snap vote in December sparks fears of electoral roll chaos

Warnings of polling station shortages and administrative mix-ups amid mounting speculation of pre-Christmas poll

Benjamin Kentish
Political Correspondent
Thursday 24 October 2019 12:43 BST
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Boris Johnson says the withdrawal agreement bill will be pulled and he will call a general election if the government loses the programme motion

Britain is facing the possibility of electoral chaos if Boris Johnson pushes ahead with plans for a December general election.

A pre-Christmas snap election would force officials to use two different electoral registers to manage voting, potentially leading to confusion and delays.

The Electoral Commission and returning officers are also concerned about finding venues for polling stations, as many school and church halls will be booked up for nativity plays and Christmas parties.

The commission said it was in discussions with the government about the potential issues and was reviewing its contingency plans.

Speculation of an election before the end of the year soared this week after MPs rejected Mr Johnson’s plan to rush his Brexit deal through parliament and take Britain out of the EU on 31 October.

The prime minister is expected to try to push for a winter election if the EU agrees to a further Brexit delay. Labour has said it will support the proposal once the risk of a no-deal exit has been avoided.

A five-week campaign is usually required before an election, so even if one was triggered next week, the poll would be most likely to take place in early December.

The electoral roll is updated annually on 1 December, meaning the new register would be in place in time to be used for a possible election.

However, polling cards for an early December election would need to be sent out in November, meaning one electoral register would be used for sending the cards and another used for the actual election.

It means that people could see their polling cards, which include details of where they should go to vote, sent to their old address.

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said: “There are some specific challenges which arise from an election in early December. These result from the proximity to the end of the annual canvass and the timetable for publication of the revised registers.

“We’re continuing to keep our contingency plans under review and discussing these with the Cabinet Office and wider electoral community to make sure we’re prepared to respond to an electoral event on any date. Our objective remains focused on ensuring a well-run poll and supporting voter confidence.”

Peter Stanyon, chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, which represents returning officers, said a poll in December would “make the process more confusing for staff” and risked people being wrongly marked as having voted when they had not.

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