Freedom of information response
Election Communications
I would like to request all communications between the Monitoring Officer and Returning Officer between July 4th and September 20th that contains any information or commentary on the local or national elections
The registration of electors is governed by the Representation of the People Act 1983 as amended. Under Section 8 of the Act, the council must appoint an officer of the council to be the registration officer for any constituency or part of a constituency coterminous with or situated in the council's area. The appointed officer for Thurrock Council is our Chief Executive. The appointment of our Chief Executive as Electoral Registration Officer is separate to her appointment as Chief Executive, and although appointed by the council, the Electoral Registration Officer's responsibilities and duties are personal. An example of this is that the register of electors is deemed to be the property of the Electoral Registration Officer, not the local authority.
The Electoral Registration Officer does not carry out the duties on behalf of the local authority but in her own personal capacity. A list of public bodies and local authorities that are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act is available at the following website:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/schedule/1
As you will see, the Freedom of Information Act does not list any person appointed under the Representation of the People Act 1983. It follows that the Electoral Registration Officer, Returning Officer or any other person appointed under the Act are not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.