Northern Ireland
Published 12 February 2026
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Representation of the People Bill 2026: Provisions relating specifically to elections in Northern Ireland
Taken together, the Northern Ireland specific measures are designed to improve registration and support increased participation in elections in Northern Ireland.
Summary of measures in the Bill
Northern Ireland canvass
The current system requires a canvass to be conducted every 10 years. Electors must re-register as part of the canvass to remain on the register, which is recreated from scratch at every canvass. If they do not respond they must be removed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), even if data available to him indicates they remain eligible to be registered. This measure gives the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the power to amend the Northern Ireland Canvass. This will allow for the reform and modernisation of the system, avoiding the arbitrary removal of large numbers of voters and protecting the integrity of the register.
Calling out of names in polling stations
Current practice in Northern Ireland requires poll clerks to shout out the name and number of everyone to whom they deliver a ballot paper. This measure will remove the outdated and unnecessary practice which can be unwelcome and intimidatory for electors. It also brings Northern Ireland into line with Great Britain where this practice was removed in 2022.
Elector records
The National Insurance number (NINO) is important in Northern Ireland as it is used in the absent vote application process as a security check. The measure will make a change so that where an application for an absent vote does not contain the NINO, the CEO must be satisfied that the applicant continues not to have a NINO. This will support the implementation of ‘Votes at 16’ for attainers, maintain the robustness of security checks on absent vote applications in Northern Ireland, and modernise the NINO check on absent vote applications reflecting the increase in the quality of data available to the CEO since this provision was first introduced.
Late registrations
Currently there are requirements that additional documentary evidence to support an application to register must always be provided by anyone trying to register just before an election (from 21 working days before the poll until the registration deadline), even if the CEO already holds data, such as Department for Work and Pensions data, that confirms an applicant’s identity and address. The measure relating to late registration amends these requirements so that the CEO will only ask for additional supporting documentation if the routine data checks do not provide a clear address and identity match.
Removal of day of birth from Northern Ireland Electoral ID cards
Removal of day of birth from Northern Ireland Electoral ID cards will support electoral ID cards to be used for their sole intended purpose of providing photographic voter ID at polling stations, and discourage their use as a secondary form of ID.