Diolch, Llywydd. The electoral canvass is carried out every year. Whilst registration is a year-round process, the canvass gives the opportunity for electoral registration officers to ensure the accuracy of the register. Traditionally, the canvass begins on 1 July each year, and can take up to five months to complete. It culminates in the publication of the revised electoral register on 1 December.

The date for the publication of the register is set out in legislation. The regulations we are debating here today would allow electoral registration officers to publish the 2020 electoral register at a later date if necessary, up to 1 February 2021. This change only applies to the publication of the 2020 electoral register. This does not mean that registers may only be published on 1 February 2021. Electoral registration officers may choose to publish on 1 December as usual, or any other date up to and including 1 February 2021.

The extension to the publication date is considered essential in the current circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. There should be some flexibility for electoral registration officers to carry out the canvass in a way that takes into consideration public health requirements. Flexibility can be provided by moving the final date by which the 2020 electoral register must be published.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the work of local authorities. Democratic services teams have seen their staff being redeployed to areas of need, or staff working from home. These arrangements can make it difficult to carry out normal functions, including printing, receipt of forms and phone call canvassing. While the annual canvass process has recently been modernised, elements remain paper based. The process is reliant on staff in electoral services teams sending and receiving paper correspondence. There is also a face-to-face element through door-to-door canvassing. 

The social distancing arrangements currently in place introduce some uncertainty in relation to the ability of electoral registration officers to successfully canvass and register electors by December 2020. The purpose of these regulations is to recognise the impact of COVID-19 and provide flexibility to electoral registration officers by simply extending the final publication date of the 2020 revised electoral register. Diolch, Llywydd.