MHCLG: Elections Modernisation Pilots 2026 Evaluation

Overview

1. Invitation and Purpose: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has invited you to take part in this research as part of an evaluation of the Elections Modernisation/flexible voting Pilots 2026. The pilots involved testing modern voting hubs across four local authorities, with the aim of improving voter convenience, satisfaction, accessibility and participation in democratic processes. The evaluation aims to assess how well these hubs work in practice, including their impact on voter experience, turnout, and operational delivery. The research will bring together evidence from surveys with the public, administrative data, and interviews and surveys with local authority staff. Findings from the evaluation will be used to inform future government decisions about modernising elections and may contribute to a published report.
2. Legal Basis for Research Studies: MHCLG is the data controller for this survey, meaning it is responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is collected and used. The research is carried out as part of a public task, in line with data protection legislation. MHCLG’s privacy policy for this study is available. Your data may also be shared with Verian, who are MHCLG’s independent research organisation, and will be conducting research on behalf of the MHCLG.  Verian will be producing an evaluation report of all the findings for the modernisation pilots. High level anonymised findings from this survey could be part of that report which we will seek to publish. Anonymised data may also be shared with the Electoral Commission. Verian complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant research ethics standards.
3. Why have I been asked to participate? You have been invited to take part because you have been involved in the planning, delivery, or administration of the Elections Modernisation/flexible voting Pilots within your local authority. We are seeking views from a senior member of the electoral staff in your local authority to understand how the pilots were implemented and experienced in practice. This member of staff must have worked in the planning of the pilots.
4. Do I have to take part? MHCLG is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to improve elections and voting processes. Your views and experiences are an important part of this continuous improvement process. However, taking part in this research is voluntary and if you would prefer not to take part,  please either advise MHCLG using the contact details provided.   
5. What will taking part involve? You’ll be asked to fill out a brief 15 minute survey in August using MHCLG’s survey platform, Citizen Space. You will be asked to speak about experiences of planning and/or operating voting hubs, any logistical, staffing and technical challenges, reflections on what worked well and what could be improved, and views on how adaptable the hub model is across different contexts. With your permission, your anonymous data will be stored. Data will be stored on a secure government IT system, and will only be accessed by authorised team members of the research team, and deleted after the end of the project.         
6. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part? We do not anticipate that there are risks in taking part. You will not be under any pressure to answer questions that you prefer not to discuss, and you can choose to halt or withdraw from the survey at any point.  
7. What are the possible benefits of taking part? Participating in the research provides an opportunity for your experiences and views to inform future elections policy and help identify improvements for future implementations. 
8. How will my confidentiality be protected? We will not be collecting names, staff roles, and email addresses of those who fill out the survey and will only be collecting names of your associated Local Authority and hold the name and email address of a nominated contact within each local authority who will distribute the survey to the nominated member of staff. However, the names, roles and contact details of the individuals who complete the survey will not be collected. This anonymised data gathered during the survey may be shared with our research contractor, Verian, to inform our evaluation which may be published.
9. What will happen to my data during the study and once the study is over? MHLCG will be responsible for the data during and after the study. The data will be held securely by MHCLG at all times. Personal data will be deleted after the end of the project. Please see the privacy notices for Verian and MHCLG for more information. 
10. How will the data be used? MHCLG, in conjunction with Verian, will use the data collected to produce a report on the delivery of the pilots. The information collected will be used to produce evaluation findings for MHCLG, as well as supporting outputs such as presentations and summary reports. Findings may be published and used to inform future policy decisions on election modernisation. 
11. Who can I contact if I have any questions or concerns about the study? Name: Emma Robson (Lead Researcher) Email: electionsresearchanalysismailbox@communities.gov.uk