The Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is a UK wide body, independent of Government and answerable directly to Parliament. Its aim is to instill integrity and public confidence in the democratic process. The Commission has a specific remit to:

• register political parties;
• make sure people understand and follow the rules on party and election finance;
• publish details of where parties and candidates get money from and how they spend it;
• set the standards for running elections and report on how well this is done;
• make sure people understand it is important to register to vote, and know how to vote;
• make sure boundary arrangements for local government in England are fair.

The Commission's website provides further information on its role and work.