DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS AND ANONYMOUS ELECTORAL REGISTRATION

Early day motion 485, tabled 10 October 2016 by Marie Rimmer (Labour). Signed by 55 members.

That this House believes that current legislation for anonymous electoral registration disenfranchises a large proportion of domestic abuse survivors; commends the campaign by Women's Aid and Mehala Osborne to change the current legislation; notes that many domestic abuse survivors do not involve the police or courts in their own circumstances and instead choose only to involve charities, medical professionals or refuges; further believes that those individuals qualified to provide an attestation for anonymous registration are not accessible to most domestic abuse survivors; believes that medical professionals and refuge managers should be able to provide an attestation; expresses concern that annual individual electoral registration will force survivors to go through this process every year to remain registered; further notes that exemptions to annual registration exist for members of the armed forces; welcomes the Cabinet Office Minister's announcement that the Government will look closely at this issue; and calls for the Government to act urgently to update legislation to ensure domestic abuse survivors are not disenfranchised from the democratic process.

Signatures by party: Labour 27, Scottish National Party 16, Labour/Co-operative 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, DUP 2, Conservative 1, Green 1, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1.