The Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is an independent body that was set up by the UK Parliament in November 2000. The aim of the Commission is to increase public confidence in the democratic process within the United Kingdom - and encourage people to take part - by modernising the electoral process, promoting public awareness of electoral matters, and regulating political parties. The Commission's functions and powers are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Selection of Publications produced by the Electoral Commission include: The Electoral Commission. (2004). The Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 2003: Campaign Spending, (17 November 2004), . Belfast: The Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission. (2004). The Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 2003: The official report on the Northern Ireland Assembly elections 26 November 2003, (April 2004), . Belfast: The Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission. (2003). The Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002: An assessment of its first year in operation, (Research Report), (December 2003), . Belfast: The Electoral Commission.