IER is an essential part of our plan to tackle electoral fraud, the importance of which was highlighted all too clearly by the flawed elections in Tower Hamlets last year. Under the old system the "head of household" could register all those in a property with no ID needed. This is outdated and presents an unacceptable risk of fraud. Under IER, each individual now has to apply individually and provide a date of birth and national insurance number which are then verified against Government records to check the applicant is who they say they are.
I recognise the concerns about electors who have not yet been registered. The answer to this is a strong and effective registration drive and I know the Government is currently looking at ways that this can be improved.
For those who are eligible but have not yet signed up with IER, online registration means that registering to vote is now easier than ever before. The process takes around 3 minutes and 77 per cent of all applications have been made online since the service was launched. Online registration is particularly popular among some groups who are typically under-registered, such as young people.
These changes bring us into line with all other modern democracies and will ensure the highest standards of integrity at future elections.